Chicago Politics

CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL 6.18.25

Description

Mayor Johnson presides over a meeting of the Chicago City Council.

Transcript

3:33 mic check one two mic check three four mic checking the mic mic one mic two mic three mic four ready on the left ready on the right ready on the firing line good morning members

4:30 of the city council please remember to log into your devices the meeting will begin shortly thank you

8:02 Good morning, good morning, City Council. Can everyone please take their seats and turn their phones on silent? Good morning, City Council. Can everyone please take their seats and turn their phones on silent? Upstairs, chambers, ears open. If you cannot find a seat, you can go upstairs. Can everyone please take their seats and turn their phones on silent? Thank you.

8:36 Can everyone please take their seats? The moment will start momentarily.

9:23 If you cannot find a seat, the third floor is open. If you cannot find a seat, the third floor is open. Good morning, members of the City Council. Please remember to log in to your devices. The meeting will begin shortly. Thank you very much. If you need any assistance, it will be available on your aisle.

9:55 Thank you.

10:33 can everyone please take their seats please can everyone take their seats the meeting will start momentarily if you cannot find a seat the third floor is open the third floor is open take your

11:05 seats take your seats everyone please take their seats the mo the meeting will start momentarily

11:38 Please take your seats now.

12:53 Good morning, good morning. Can everyone please take their seats? The meeting will start momentarily. Everyone, can you please take your seats? The meeting will start momentarily. Excuse me, excuse me. I need everyone to have a seat, please. Can you please take your seats? Everyone up against the wall, can you please take your seats?

13:23 if you cannot find a seat you will have to go to the third floor good morning good morning I need everyone to please have a seat can you please take your

13:54 seats if you cannot find a seat you can go to the third floor we have open seats on the third floor please

16:35 Please remember to log into your devices. The meeting will begin shortly. Thank you very much.

19:14 Everyone, please take their seats. The overflow is on the third floor. If you do not have a seat, please go to the third floor. Can everyone please take a seat now? The moment will begin momentarily. Everyone, please take a seat.

20:01 If you do not have a seat now, can you please make your way to the third floor?

21:46 If you do not have a seat right now, please make your way to the third floor. Good morning, City Council. We'll begin shortly. Please log in to your e-device.

22:22 Please log in to your e-device. If you need support, please raise your hand. Please log in to your e-device now. We will get started shortly.

24:42 Good morning. Welcome to today's City Council meeting. The meeting will convene momentarily, so at this time, please take a seat. If there's no seating available on the second floor, please move to the third floor. Thank you.

26:07 Good morning. The council will come to order. Madam Clerk, please take a quorum roll call. The quorum is now open. The quorum is now open. Please use your e-device. The quorum roll call is now open. I will now call on those with a voice vote if you have not marked your attendance.

27:30 Alderwoman Harris. Alderwoman Harris is present. Alderman Beal, not President Chambers. Alderwoman Ramirez. Not present in chambers. Alderwoman Gutierrez. Not present in chambers. Alderwoman Coleman. Not present in chambers. Alderman Curtis. Curtis is present. Alderperson Fuentes. Fuentes is present. Alderman Burnett. Not present in chambers. Alderwoman Rodriguez Sanchez.

28:05 Not present in Chambers Alderman Conway Conway is present Alderwoman Mitts Not present in Chambers Alderman Vasquez Vasquez is present Alderman Gardner Gardner is present Alderwoman Clay Clay is not present in Chambers Alderwoman Silverstein Not present in Chambers Alderwoman Julia Ramirez is present in chambers.

28:37 I got you. All right. Anyone else? Okay. The quorum is now closed. There are 42 members that are present, so we do have a quorum. There are three members of this body that wish to participate in today's meeting remotely. For reasons stated in Rule 59, Madam Clerk, can we confirm the unlined presence of Vice Mayor Burnett, Chairwoman Silverstein, and Chairwoman Rodriguez-Sanchez?

29:17 Alderwoman Rodriguez-Sanchez? Here. Alderman Burnett? Present. Alderwoman Silverstein? Present. Very well. Can I get a motion to approve the remote participation of these three members? All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Any opposed, say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. Please record those three members as participants remotely. Let us stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

29:51 I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. If you could remain standing for the invocation, which will be delivered this morning by Pastor Jamie Frazier of Lighthouse Church. Spirit of the Living God, we come this morning asking for an outpouring of your wisdom, justice, equity, and wholeness upon this legislative body.

30:27 Bless our elected officials. Strengthen our elected officials. Hold up our elected officials on every leaning side in the face of fascism. Keep your commandments ever before us. Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before you, O God. During this LGBTQ Plus Pride Month, let this August body learn from the powerful organizing of Bayard Rustin,

31:01 moral vision of James Baldwin, ancestral wisdom of Nikki Giovanni, and holy boldness of Marsha P. Johnson. I pray this prayer in Jesus' name, as others pray to different deities and with other belief systems. May we all say amen. Amen. Thank you. You may be seated.

31:35 Looks like we got seven on that one, ten.

32:09 Public comments. The council will now begin the public comment period, which is limited to a maximum of 30 minutes. Each speaker is limited to three minutes. Speakers cannot yield or transfer their time to another speaker. Any written comments that have been submitted will be posted and made available for automatic review. The first speaker this morning is Self Fred. Hello, can you hear me? We can hear you. welcome okay uh good morning mayor johnson and city council i have come here today to tell you

32:48 all to vote no on this trash snap curfew ordinance there have been legitimate concerns with this ordinance since it was introduced into committee including the ordinance is unconstitutional and will incur debt to the city when we have to pay court fees and payouts to those affected by this trash policy to the police the chicago police superintendent selling said he would not enforce or use it because he too believes it is unconstitutional three there is zero input from the teenagers who this policy will impact they deserve to be brought to the table and heard just like the

33:21 chicago police department was during the hearing on said trash ordinance curfews have never been proven effective in any way suggesting a curfew to fix the public safety issue is as old and aggressive as the minds who introduced this POS policy. I am extremely disappointed in those serving on the Committee of Public Safety who advanced this policy as a solution to said trend trends. I find it hard to believe that the Chicago Police Department, who handled the thousands of protesters this weekend and arrested one person out of 20,000, are unable to serve and

33:55 protect our city's children. Instead of criminalizing our youth, I have a few ideas for the Committee of public services focus on one pass and expand the peace book ordinance and peacekeeper program to meet all with all 22 of the police district councils to make sure they are functioning and have an open line of communication with the police active in their districts for support the referendum for community power of releasing five start looking for revenue to fund the care program for the entire city Six, and finally, the committee can start to hold the Chicago Police Department accountable to the consent decree and to the people of Chicago.

34:31 Let's finish that workforce allocation study. And Mayor Johnson, don't think because you decided public safety is your number one issue that we're cool. The city of Chicago is counting on you to hold the adults in this room accountable. No more playing games. I know you've got the resources, and I've got my eye on you. To my comrades and young activists in the room, keep up the good fight. Again, Alders, please vote no on this bogus nap curfew ordinance. All power to all people.

35:06 Thank you very much for your comments. Our next speaker is Lee Bari. Lee Bari is not here. Our next speaker is Rita Pritchett. Rita Pritchett is also not here. Our next speaker this morning is Rachel Gross. Our next speaker is Rachel Gross.

35:41 Hi, everybody. I'm sorry. Hello, Mayor, Chicago City Council members. My name is Rachel Gross, and I'm here with the Sheffield Neighborhood Association as vice president. I joined president of SNA, Brian Comer, to talk about the SNAP curfew and to show our support of it.

36:19 The takeovers, they've become a real issue for the safety of residents. And as a mom, I'm more concerned, honestly, about the teens. There was a teen that was shot during the last event, and I just, there has got to be a way that we can keep them safe while keeping the community safe. And although there's lots of pros and cons for curfews, I know that they don't always work.

36:53 I know they haven't worked in other cities. The SNAP curfew seems a little different. It seems like it's a tool, just a tool, that can assist police in stopping, not arresting, but addressing the teens and dispersing before it becomes an issue. I know that there's many concerns about civil rights, but if we use it and see it as a preventive measure, With also, of course, trying to address the root cause, I don't see how it could be anything but hopefully successful, and if it's not, it can always be repealed.

37:35 And that's all I have to say. Thank you. Our next speaker this morning is Iyana Simba. Good morning, City Council. My name is Ayana Simba, and I am here to comment on behalf of the Illinois Environmental Council as our City Government Affairs Director.

38:14 If you're not familiar, IEC, we represent about 130 environmental orgs across the state, including many that are here today, like Neighbors for Environmental Justice and Southeast Environmental Task Force, and others that are focused on strengthening environmental justice here in Chicago. When we talk about the life expectancy gap, or in other words, the difference between the life expectancy for white and wealthy residents and black and brown and low-income residents, we often refer to crime stats and access to health care. But we often ignore the amplifying effects of the environment that it can have on someone's life.

38:48 Living, working, and playing next to industrial facilities can have impacts ranging from asthma, low infant birth rates, increased cancer risk, and even premature death. So when we're talking about the life expectancy gap, this is what we are talking about. For decades, Chicago has allowed heavy industry to concentrate in the most vulnerable communities, putting health and well-being of residents at risk, or in other words, creating sacrifice zones. Even now, in 2025, black and brown and low-income Chicagoans are likely to live in neighborhoods that are surrounded by industrial pollution.

39:20 After years of environmental advocacy, we finally have a pathway forward. It is the Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance. This ordinance will require new industrial projects to consider and report their total impact. It will require them to hold community meetings before a new development, and it will create an Environmental Justice Advisory Board. And finally, it will give a voice to community voices. I want to be clear in what this ordinance does not do. It does not take away power from city officials and city council.

39:50 It does not ban industry in the city of Chicago, and it does not bury developers in red tape. Chicagoans in overburdened areas deserve clean air, they deserve clean water, they deserve safe soil, and they deserve a say in what gets built in their backyard. It's time that we protect every neighborhood, not just the wealthy few. I urge you to support the Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance. Thank you for your time.

40:20 Thank you for your comments. Our next speaker is David Barbosa. Good morning. Good morning. Hello, my name is David Barbosa, and I live in the 10th Ward. Research shows that in cities across the country, industrial siting policies have disproportionately concentrated the burdens of pollution onto particular communities. Communities that had already been disadvantaged by economic conditions and by racial discrimination that cut them out of the decision-making process.

40:52 Many people benefited and profited from those industries. but in the communities I'm talking about, instead of benefits, we stacked and accumulated harm on top of harm in ways that our laws did not equip us to solve. Chicago has been no exception, but Chicago does have the opportunity to become an exception. In a moment where environmental and health protections are under attack, Chicagoans from the very communities at highest risk have organized to make our city stronger, safer, and healthier than ever. The story of these communities is a story that goes back to Hazel M. Johnson.

41:25 and on her name and city council's halls, thanks to her work to lift Outgilt Gardens out from the burden of industry's cumulative impacts. Ms. Johnson saw how far too many beloved people in her community had been harmed or even killed by pollution-linked diseases, and she knew that this could not be normal. She was right. In fact, citing decisions all over the city had concentrated pollution in such a manner that, for a resident in the epicenter, each individual facility made its own contribution

41:57 into a cumulative toxic stack that increased a community member's health risk and shortened their lifespan. Hazel M. Johnson fought for these communities' rights to a clean environment. Years later, organizers now carry on her legacy to push for a Chicago that is free of sacrifice zones. I am here to support the Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance being introduced today. The ordinance would form an Environmental Justice Advisory Council and would require a wide range of permit-seeking facilities to carry out a cumulative impact study before

42:32 attaining approval. Rather than viewing every source of pollution in a vacuum, we would now contextualize facilities in the existing environment and help to build a city where no more neighborhoods become a nexus of sacrifice. Frontline communities as well as environmental groups like my own provided their sweat and expertise to give our city this chance. I urge the city council to pass this ordinance and to become a model for a sacrifice-free city. Thank you.

43:08 Thank you very much for your comments. Our next speaker this morning is Talis Yari. Good morning, Mayor Johnson, city council, and fellow community members. My name is Talia Yari, and I am the youth leadership coordinator at the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs. I'm here today to urge you to vote no on the SNAP Curfew Ordinance,

43:41 which is overly punitive, reactionary, and ultimately ineffective. Let's be clear. This ordinance doesn't protect young people. It criminalizes them for existing. Young people should not only be allowed to exist in public spaces, but encouraged to do so. I don't disagree that there is a problem here. Teen takeovers are how young people in Chicago have drawn attention to an unmet need. Between COVID and our increasingly virtual world, Chicago's young people have demonstrated that they crave face-to-face community connection.

44:15 They need spaces that are theirs, where they can be engaged and mentored and appropriately challenged. As someone who works with teens every day, I can speak to the powerful effect that telling them you believe in them and are invested in their growth can have. I urge you to prioritize community-based initiatives that offer young people opportunities to grow and learn and explore together. Look to the work of organizations like Good Kids Mad City and My Block, My Hood, My City, whose programs demonstrate the power and untapped potential of our young people.

44:49 There are so many things wrong with the approach that this ordinance takes. CPD has a documented discriminatory history of targeting black and brown people, and this ordinance would simply give cover to perpetuate racist profiling against our city's young people. This ordinance, as has previously been mentioned, clearly violates constitutional rights, and frankly, it's a lawsuit waiting to happen. Who will have to pay when the city gets sued? The Chicago taxpayer. When we could be using that money to build community centers,

45:20 create programs, or reopen mental health clinics, all things that actually address what young people need today. What will happen when these kids and their parents inevitably can't pay the fine? Why are we trying to entangle more families in systems that don't serve them? What kind of message are we trying to send to our young people? The only logical solution to this problem is community investment. Please vote no on the SNAP curfew ordinance and redirect your energy and efforts to build people-centered solutions that prioritize our young people and their futures.

45:54 Thank you. Thank you very much for your comments. Our next speaker is Jamie Valro Torres.

46:33 Good morning, City Council and Mayor Johnson. Thank you for the opportunity to share a comment on behalf of the Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impact Ordinance. My name is Jaime, and I'm a lifelong resident of Chicago's South Side here to speak in support of this ordinance. I'm here on behalf of the Anadhia Collective and the Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization, a grassroots organization that has signed in support of this ordinance. These organizations, among others present today, are dedicated to environmental justice and demand action for communities of color who are disproportionately affected by pollution and its effects.

47:11 I would like to express my reasons for why the city of Chicago should pass the Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impact Ordinance. Historically, Chicago has been known for the segregation based on race and income. People of color and community members living in lower-income neighborhoods have long been victims of environmental injustices. We are at higher risk for health issues such as respiratory and heart disease and are also at higher risk for environmental impacts such as lead, poison, drinking water, and polluted air. To this day, we lack a voice in developments coming into our communities despite the cumulative impacts they may bring.

47:46 I feel these effects firsthand as I come from a family with a history of severe mental and physical health issues such as asthma, lupus, and cancer most likely linked to industrial pollution and other cumulative impacts. My family members, past and present, deserve to live in peace and know that their health and well-being is important. All Chicagoans disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental impacts deserve justice. The Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impact Ordinance will create a path for that justice. It would recognize sacrifice zones, areas whose air, water, soil, health and well-being are sacrificed for the economic benefit of others.

48:24 The ordinance will prevent the construction of industrial facilities that would otherwise be built in sacrifice zones, despite the potential health concerns. Lastly, this ordinance will ensure that community members can be included in future plans by hosting public community meetings so that their stories and concerns can be heard. While we can't go back in time and save those who lost their lives sooner than most as a result of long-term pollution, we can still seek justice for those still alive today and protect future generations from the suffering our communities have long faced.

48:54 Please help us pass the Hazel M. Johnson Ordinance for Environmental Justice and Community Healing. Thank you. Thank you very much for your comments. Our next speaker this morning is Chloe Butler-Jones. Good morning, Mayor Johnson and City Council. My name is Chloe, and I am a Chicago resident.

49:31 Chicago must lead, not lag, in protecting public health. We live in a city where black and brown working-class neighborhoods have been treated as sacrifice zones for decades. This is not accidental. It's the result of zoning policies that prioritize industry profits over our health. While I served as co-chair of the Communication and Engagement Working Group for the Chicago Cumulative Impacts Assessment, we heard hundreds of residents echo what they have been asking for for decades, protection from the toxic pollution that continues to accumulate as we speak.

50:03 The Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance is an opportunity for Chicago to lead the country in environmental justice. It ensures that our communities are no longer dumping grounds for toxic industries. No more sacrifice zones. For too long, neighborhoods like the Southeast Side, Little Village, Pilsen, McKinley Park, Inglewood, and Alcald Gardens have been overburdened with pollution. These are the same communities with higher rates of asthma, cancer, and respiratory illnesses. That is environmental racism in action. The City Council must stand up and reject the

50:38 false choice between jobs and our health. Responsible zoning means protecting residents from the cumulative burden of pollution, not adding to it. What's at risk if we fail to act? If this ordinance is not passed, the cycle of environmental racism will continue. More toxic industries will move into our communities, increasing already dangerous levels of pollution. Our children will keep developing asthma at some of the highest rates in the country. Our elders will continue to suffer from respiratory illnesses at a disproportionate rate.

51:11 Our families will keep dealing with the devastating health impacts of polluted air, water, and soil. And once again, the message from City Hall will be clear. People come before, profits come before people, and black and brown communities are expendable. Hazel Johnson, founder of People for Community Recovery, the organization I very proudly work for, fought to stop toxic pollution in Chicago. She led this movement decades ago, and today we are demanding that her legacy be honored with real policy.

51:42 We are calling on City Council to pass this ordinance and to put an end to the policies that have sacrificed our communities. No more delays. No more excuses. This is about our survival. Thank you for our time, for your time. Thank you very much for your comments. Our next speaker is Ethan El Salvador. Good morning, fellow Chicagoan City Council and Mayor Johnson.

52:22 My name is Ito Han, or Ito Osagbovo, and I'm speaking today in solidarity with the young people of Chicago and a myriad of organizations invested in their well-being. I was born to African immigrant parents in the year that Mayor Harold Washington made Chicago a sanctuary city. Between working multiple low-wage jobs, navigating xenophobic and anti-black racism, and continuing their education, my parents didn't have much time to learn the complexities of Chicago's public school system. They walked us to the nearest school, not realizing that they

52:56 had crossed the boulevard, leaving our apartment in Austin and entering Oak Park. Upon hearing we couldn't go to school there unless we moved, my parents made the sacrifice of staying with friends until they could afford to rent on their own. I like to call myself a displaced Austin resident because everything I did was still in the city. As a latchkey kid and creative, it was Chicago's youth poetry scene that grounded me. In the summers, I took the train to attend programming by young Chicago authors, competed in Louder Than a Bomb, opened mics, did babysitting jobs, and sang in my church's gospel choir.

53:32 We had family from uptown to Beverly. I could not afford to be restricted as a young person and a family that depended on me not only to take care of myself, but often other members of my family and community. Getting stopped or pulled over by police for no apparent reason as a young person is terrifying. We don't need a snap curfew. We don't need $300 million in police slush funding. We need public safety solutions that are proven to work, youth jobs and programming like Peacebook,

54:05 non-police crisis or care teams on our streets, and public mental health centers. We need real investments and real solutions, and the youth in our city need freedom. My ability to navigate the city freely gave me an education on the geography and history of this great city that money cannot buy. And as a proud arts educator, mentor, and organizer, I can say Chicago's youth are some of the world's most formidable innovators. They navigate the difficulty of growing up in a city that people are constantly trying to turn into their personal cash cow with unmistakable brilliance and an unbreakable self-regard.

54:45 Elected officials of the city, business owners, no one has the right to betray them by restricting their ability to grow, explore, and gather in any of Chicago's 77 neighborhoods simply because they are young. I am personally asking the alders and wards that I have lived in, Taliaferro, Fuentes, Taylor, and Mintz, to oppose any new SNAP curfew ordinance. And to those of you who advocate for the sick, the young, the poor, those considered the least of these in your wards, thank you.

55:18 We love you. We celebrate you as we hold you accountable to that promise. Thank you. Thank you very much for your comments. Our next speaker is Lee Bari. Our next speaker is Rita Pritchett. Your Honor, there are no further speakers who have timely signed up for the public comment period. Very well. This concludes our public comment portion of the meeting.

56:01 Thank you to all of our public speakers. Next up, we have resolutions. But before we get to those resolutions, there are six acknowledgments that have been brought before me this morning. The first acknowledgment will be by Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez. who would like to celebrate the Vélez Senor brothers and family

56:33 and their contributions to our city. The chair recognizes Alderman Sigcho Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President. And it's with a great pleasure that I have the honor to recognize a real institution in our neighborhood, In the 1960s, Ignacio and Gilberto Villaseñor, two newcomers from Michoacán, Mexico, came to the United States with the American dream and founded a company specializing in fresh cheese from the countryside of Central Mexico.

57:08 They came in with $500 and a dream, three employees. Now, this same company employs over 300 people, and they are indeed what we talked about, the American dream, and with so many narratives out there dehumanizing immigrants today, it is great to celebrate the great accomplishments of immigrant families like the Villasenor family. I have the honor to represent an immigrant port of entry like Pilsen,

57:38 So I want to give a special recognition to a family that we have your family. We have the matriarch of the family here as well. So I would like for them to stand up so that we can recognize them in city council for your great contributions to the city of Chicago.

58:08 Thank you, Mr. President. Fifty years and going strong. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Our next acknowledgment, again, thank you, Alderman Sigcho Lopez. Our second of six acknowledgments will be by Alderman Curtis, who would like to honor the laborers of Local 1092 of the Department of Water Management. The chair recognizes Alderman Derek Curtis. Thank you, Mr. President.

58:39 Also, I will be honoring actually the entire crews, and I'll get to that in a moment. But first, I would like to take this opportunity for us to recognize real leadership of Chicago's workforce. And of course, he has over Two decades of leading the city workforce came up through the ranks, and he was one of the reasons why I decided to do this acknowledgement.

59:14 I would like to say happy birthday to our commissioner, Randy Conn. Hey, Randy. You know, so many times, especially during the pandemic, we always recognized our first responders that when we were supposed to be isolated at home, instead of being on the beach or something like that, those workers had to go out, first responders had to go out, stay at work to keep the city safe.

59:54 I have looked around, and I didn't see anything that we've done for our labor force. One thing that brought me to this was in the winter, this past winter, I was driving around. I think I was on my way downtown. And in the sub-zero weather, what we take, basically, probably for granted, we see our city water department fixing these water main breaks, or sewer cave-ins, or if these water mains break, basically, we just drive by and we see the city working.

1:00:41 But if our water go off and they don't fix these at that time, you won't have any water. What amazed me, I even drove up north to look at many crews. What excited me about one crew was, I think I was at maybe 83rd and Vincennes, and they were working on a water main, and I saw the water crew there, I saw this big guy.

1:01:17 And these are not just, this labor force are not just guys and girls in their 20s and 30s. This guy had to be in his 50s or 60s. Bald head, big stomach, and there had to be a Michelob week. But I saw him jump right in that hole. When they fix these holes, there's water inside the holes. I just found out today that the water is so cold when they're down fixing these water main breaks

1:01:53 that they have to stick their hands in the sub-zero degrees water just to keep them warm because it's hotter than the air. It's amazing. But I would like to honor them today. If you would stand. This is out of Chicago.

1:02:36 Mr. President, City Council, you know you need the heavy equipment operator, 150. You need the plumbers to fix them. You need the bricklayers and the laborers that actually have to jump in that hole and fix it. And I want to honor all of them today for doing a great job, because we've never done it. I've never seen it. I want to thank you all. Thank you so much, Mr. President. Thank you, Alderman Curtis. Alderman David Moore would also like to speak to this acknowledgment.

1:03:08 The chair recognizes Alderman Moore. Thank you so much, Mr. President. I know we're not going to be able to speak to every resolution, and I'm going to try to hold my remarks on some so we can get out here at a decent time today. But I just wanted to make sure that I highlight and recognize these workers for the work that they do. One thing I know when I call this department, I can't call everybody's name, but under the leadership of Randy Connors, their whole team has been responsive to my constituents, and I cannot say enough about them just to say thank you for the work that you do.

1:03:42 So I echo everything my colleagues said. I don't want to repeat everything for the sake of time, but thank you all so much. for all that you do thank you alderman moore thank you alderman curtis for bringing this acknowledgement our third acknowledgement will be by Alders Rodriguez and Gutierrez. They would like to celebrate Dos Elandia's 30th anniversary. The chair recognizes Alderman Rodriguez. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Today we celebrate 30 years of culture, community, and entrepreneurial spirits.

1:04:17 Urban legend, and I believe fact, has it that 26th Street is the second highest tax revenue generating business district. Only, thank you, only second to the Magnificent Mile, but I tell folks we are second to no one. We're the Magnificent Two Miles on 26th Street, and that is because of the spirits of the Rodriguez family and Dulcelandia. Give them a round of applause. Briefly, Mr. President, as you take a picture, that's nice,

1:05:05 Very well done. I like that. Eduardo and Evelia, excuse me, Eduardo and Evelia Rodriguez built Dulcélandia from the ground up. And in doing so, they built a piece of home for generations of Chicagoans. Dulcélandia is a celebration of Mexican heritage in Chicago. And over the years, it has become a neighborhood landmark. We are so proud to recognize Dulcélandia's impact as a successful business and as exemplar of the entrepreneurial spirit of Chicago's

1:05:39 immigrant community. And Alders, you have in front of you here dulces from Dulce Landia, Mexican candies for your enjoyment. You know, the clerk says and made sure that I made sure to mention that the clerk made sure that I mentioned that Dulce Landia is a strong partner with the City Key program here in the city of Chicago. And the children, Eve worked a very long time here in the city of Chicago.

1:06:13 Marco, Julio, and Eduardo, Jr. are leaders of our Chambers of Commerce, our SSA, and they do so much for our community. They are exemplars of what this great city is. I'm proud to honor their hard work and for filling our lives with a little bit of sweetness. Thank you so very much. Thank you. The chair recognizes Audra Gutierrez. Thank you, Mr. President. I would like also to join my colleague on congratulating Dulcelandia on those 30 years.

1:06:47 And I know there will be many, many more successful years. It's a family that works together, that stands together. They hire a lot of our community members. They protect them. They give good wages and good work opportunities for them. So we want to congratulate you all. I know your warehouse sits in 14 wards, so we're so honored to host the warehouse of this incredible business. I wish you many, many successful years. Thank you for all what you do for our communities. And as you may know, Dulcélandia is candy land.

1:07:20 So when you go in those stores, kids go happy as you can tell. And thank you for bringing those sweetnesses, as Rodriguez said, but also bringing families together to celebrate not only birthdays and milestones from our families' graduations, but also posadas and bringing that culture that is really important for our communities, especially being an immigrant and setting the example that you can be successful when you work hard and you provide to our communities. Thank you so much.

1:07:51 The chair recognizes Alderman Villegas. Thank you, Mr. President. and I also stand to be associated with this resolution highlighting the accomplishments of 30 years for Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez in New Zealandia. When we talk about immigrants, this is exactly what we're talking about. We're talking about people that have come to this country looking for an opportunity, looking for an opportunity to thrive, create jobs, create revenue in the form of taxes

1:08:28 in order to contribute to the fabric of society here in this great country, in this great city of Chicago. You know, I mentioned that Eve worked for the city. You're right, Michael. She worked 15 years, and then she found some common sense and then went to go to the private sector. We want to acknowledge her as well. Well, listen, the Rodriguez family has not just been business leaders. They've also been civic leaders as well. Not just talking about business, but also putting their money where their mouth is as it relates to causes that really amplify the Latino community.

1:09:02 And so I just wanted to be associated with this resolution. Chairman Rodriguez, Alderman Gutierrez, thank you for bringing forward this resolution. And congratulations on another, for your 30 years, but also for another 30 years. Thank you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alder Quezada. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also want to congratulate Dulce Landia and the owners for 30 years of great business, and especially in the 35th Ward. We have the best Dulce Landia in the 35th Ward.

1:09:32 No shade to my colleagues, but at 3855 West Fullerton, you'll find a great price for great candy, and also you'll find some amazing pinatas with some relevant kind of figures in the public sphere. So if you ever want to make sure you're getting your candy out and you're getting some stress out. Go to 3855 West Fullerton and you'll find a nice pinata for your for your parties. But no, and in all honesty, thank you so much, New Zealandia, for being such a great partner in the 35th Ward. I know that you have partnered with our office previously for our events like Hermosa

1:10:02 Halloween. You've donated a lot of candy for our events. So just greatly appreciate your partnership in our community and the city of Chicago. Congratulations. Thank you. Chair recognizes Alderman Ciccio Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President, and I would also like to rise in support as New Zealandia is also a constituent of mine, and what a great day today to celebrate two great businesses, in particular because my triplets are going to turn three this weekend, so we know where we're going to be going to get some of the dulces this weekend. So celebrating

1:10:38 the speed of our immigrant community, the resiliency of Chicago, I would like to rise in And thank you, Dulce Landia, and also B&B for their great civic engagement. This is what Chicago is about. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, Alders Rodriguez and Gutierrez. Our fourth acknowledgment will be by Alderwoman Nugent. She would like to welcome the North River Commission's Youth Council. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Nugent.

1:11:10 Thank you, Mr. President. It's my pleasure today to welcome the North River Commission Youth Council to City Council. If you guys could please stand up. The North River Youth Council is a dedicated group of young leaders from the northwest side of Chicago. They're committed to civic engagement, community service, and developing a strong voice for the youth of our city. They address issues like sustainability, public safety, access to public transportation, and school programming. I'm incredibly impressed by their passion to learn and to uplift their community. On behalf of the City Council, thank you for your involvement, your initiative, and your leadership.

1:11:43 Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. The Chair recognizes Alder Vazquez. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I also want to rise in support of the North River Commission Youth Council. I want to thank you all. Earlier this year, they had 40th Ward, 33rd Ward, 39th, and others,

1:12:18 and really got a chance to hear and engage and understand their leadership. Thank you so much for the work that you all do. and for holding us accountable. We had conversations about what actual entertainment and other opportunities look like besides a snap curfew. And to have the youth actually tell us what's important to them is something that I think we should value and always listen as members of council. So thank you all for your leadership. Thank you for challenging us. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you. Thank you, Alderwoman Nugent. Our next acknowledgment will be by Alderman Mosley.

1:12:51 he would like to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Gatling's Chapel. The chair recognizes Alderman Mosley. Thank you so much, Mr. President and colleagues, and to the Gatling family. I humbly rise today. For 40 years, Gatling's Chapel, right in the heart of the 21st Ward, has done more than bury the dead. They have uplifted the living. Just a second. Just a second. I would ask that the chamber remain quiet and respectful as this acknowledgement is being made. Thank you, Alderman Mosley.

1:13:28 For 40 years, Gatlin's Chapel, right in the heart of the 21st Ward, has done more than bury the dead. They have uplifted the living. It is Gatlin's Chapel that insists, even in grief, you are worthy of beauty. Even in loss, you are worthy of dignity This tradition was born out of necessity There was a time not so long ago when our people, black people, were excluded from white-owned funeral establishments.

1:13:59 And so we built our own. We made a way with excellence, with innovation, and with faith. Mr. President, as we mark Juneteenth, the ongoing struggle and promise of freedom, let us be clear that this is what freedom can look like. a black family building, leading, and sustaining a legacy of excellence in our community. Lafayette Gatlin Sr. and Mrs. Marguerite Gatlin carried that torch, and 40 years later, their legacy shines bright here throughout the city of Chicago.

1:14:33 So to Mrs. Gatlin, to Cheryl, to Markita, to Aaron, Lyric, and Melody, we see you, we honor you, and on behalf of this council in the great city of Chicago, we say thank you. May your next 40 years be even greater than your first. Thank you, Mr. President.

1:15:07 Thank you. Alderman Moore. Applause, but I know I'm trying to be nice and not talk through everyone, but there are some people in life you just have to stand up for. This is my family, and it's my family because they've become family for the way that they serve this community. I echo every word that Audubon Mosley has said, and I'm telling you all, if you can, make it by, what Saturday is it, Ms. Gatlin, when we have the concert in December?

1:15:41 I'll tell you all about it, but they can sing. If y'all want to hear some great singing, they can sing. And then also Facebook, Marquita Gatlin, man, you're talking about needs to be on America's Got Talent and One of Our Greatest Stars. that young lady can sing and so i want to thank this family for all that you all do it's a great family and they got a great business in our community and what's something that i want to point out that um ronnie ought to mostly stated but a lot of people didn't capture the excellence

1:16:15 they taught other business in this city not just funeral businesses but other businesses how to be excellent. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. The chair recognizes Alderman William Hall. Thank you so much, Mr. President. I too stand and rise, first of all, to echo what Alderman Moore said, the Gatlins can sing. And I know that because every Sunday, Markita leads worship at my church, what she calls home. What's the name of your church, Oh, St. James. Secondly, for as many families as the Gatlins have put on their backs in the hardest times of their life, Chicago was better because of it.

1:16:56 So thank you to the Gatlin family for 40 years of holding it down and lifting us up. Thank you, Mr. President. Very well. Thank you all for the acknowledgments. just one more acknowledgement. You all may have heard the news that the infamous and the most iconic voice in broadcast and radio, covering politics for an entire generation. So I would like to offer up a congratulations on the retirement for Craig Delamore of WBBM News.

1:17:27 So let's just celebrate. He's not in the room, but we can still stand even though he's not in the room, Craig Delamore. Yeah, that's as close as you're going to get to a standing ovation, Craig Wall. But we thank him for his incredible legacy. And so now we have two resolutions

1:17:58 celebrating Pride Month and Juneteenth. The chair recognizes Alderman Mitchell. Good morning, Mr. President. I move for the temporary suspension of the rules for the immediate consideration of these resolutions. Hearing no objections, so ordered. In the interest of time, we will not read through the resolutions, but we will go straight to the remarks from members of the City Council. We'll give folks a few moments to clear. The Chair recognizes Alderwoman Mitchell. I'm sorry,

1:18:33 Alderwoman Mitts. Mr. President, I'd like to be recorded for present for the purpose of Thank you, Alderwoman Mitts. Madam Clerk, please add Alderwoman Mitts to the quorum. Are there any members who wish to speak to this resolution? The chair recognizes Alderman Lawson. Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, colleagues. I proudly join in support of this resolution.

1:19:04 I will start by being thankful that I have my guest in the box today, Principal Joshua Marburger of Nettle Horse School in the 44th Ward. He's the one with the little guy who decided right now to be loud. He was named principal in March of last year and has served in many vital roles at the school since 2014, including AP, the school's case manager, and teaching middle school math. I brought you a middle school teacher, huh? Thank you. All right. Thank you. An Iowa native and always wanted to serve his students and our community as best as possible.

1:19:38 He received a BA in elementary education from Mount St. Clair College, continued his education at Jones International University, DePaul University, and the University of New England. Netherhorse has been one of the great community success stories for both Lakeview and CPS. The building is full of colorful art, unique stories, and even has its own chicken coop. The school continues to thrive with a focus on strong social-emotional learning, belonging, and rigorous differentiated instruction. He's a strong advocate of social justice and equity issues.

1:20:09 Dr. Marburger takes great pride in ensuring all students and families feel seen, heard, and known within the Stallion community. And that is particularly true for LGBT+, parents, and students who find an accepting, diverse home at Nettlehorst. I'm thrilled to have Principal Marburger today as my guest as we celebrate Pride. He's joined by his husband, Mark, who is there with baby Louie. They just celebrated their first Father's Day last week, so congratulations to both of you. And thank you, Dr. Marburger, for everything you do for our community.

1:20:44 I will just also continue. you know we're having a little parade at the end of the month and you're all invited and want to thank especially all the city departments they don't get enough credit for the work that they put into that parade I know I mean you think water is involved guys I mean every you name it our sister agencies especially CTA there's a tremendous amount of work that goes into keeping us safe I think this year as much as any other we know that we need to hunker down and keep an eye on everyone. The parade theme this year is United in Pride, and I think we should

1:21:17 take that with us. I have throughout this month. And we'll really draw on the strengths in every aspect of our community, which comes together in that great moment at the end of June. So the first time in parade history, a local community group will lead the parade as the inaugural Outfront Leader. That is Task Force Prevention and Community Services, LGBT youth-focused and wellness organization located on the west side of Chicago will lead the parade. It's being honored for its decades of unwavering service, providing

1:21:48 critical resources, advocacy, and support to LGBTQ plus youth, particularly those in underserved communities. We're also joined by Dr. Maya Green, who's appropriately wearing green. She, along with Dr. Katherine Kretikos and Ally, are community grand marshals. Both honorees were selected through online nomination processes reflecting the profound impact on health care, advocacy, and the LGBTQ community. I want to lift up Victor Salvo, who's in the box, from the Legacy Project and the Legacy Walk.

1:22:20 You can't miss it. On the first floor of this building is the Legacy Traveling Wall. Legacy tells the story of LGBT folks throughout history, and the appropriate hashtag for this year is that we will not be erased. And so we're going to tell our history, we're going to say it proudly, and we're going to say it in the halls of this building. I want to thank the organizers of the parade who are here, Steve Long, Tim Fry, Tara Campbell, Daniel Ortiz. It's way more work than anyone realizes for a volunteer role, guys. And they've rolled with the changes from last year, the updates from this year,

1:22:53 and I want to thank them for it. And then Devin Hanley is here from Task Force as well. So thank you all very much. Happy Pride to you, and we look forward to a safe, affirming, welcoming parade. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Chair recognizes Alderwoman Taylor. Thank you, Madam Chair. Dr. Maya Green doesn't belong to you. She belongs to the south side of Chicago. And so to this amazing black woman who saved us during COVID, she not only talked about vaccinations,

1:23:25 she talked about how to make ourselves safety, wearing our masks, and how important it was to make sure that we're paying attention to the city. And so this woman who at the time worked for Howard Brown made sure our young folks and black men and women were given access. See you, Dr. Green. Thank you. Our community loves you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. The chair recognizes Alder Manal Hoppenworth. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Principal, for being here. That'll work from the 48th

1:23:56 Ward. Principal, again, from that, of course. Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in support of this resolution. I'm the first Filipina and first openly queer elder woman to represent the 48th Ward, and that includes Edgewater and Uptown. And today, I honor my past, present, and future as we celebrate Pride Month. My indigenous roots are in the mountain province of the Philippines, where in pre-colonial times, women ruled the roost, and spiritual and community leaders were acknowledged to

1:24:27 have both masculine and feminine qualities. Gender fluidity was affirmed for both mortals and deities as a holistic representation of our shared humanity. Today, the 48th Ward is a beacon for LGBTQIA plus people in Chicago and beyond. as one of the most diverse wards across race, class, ethnicity, gender, identity, and orientation. Today, I'm proud to recognize a prominent LGBTQ plus community leader in Andersonville,

1:24:57 someone essential to the neighborhood who leads with heart and humor and keeps our neighborhood vibrant and humming. Her name is Laura Austin, and she joins us with other Chicago LGBTQ plus leaders in the box today. As the Executive Director for the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, she has the daunting task of defending Andersonville's title as the second coolest neighborhood in the world, according to Time Out magazine.

1:25:29 Andersonville is also known as Girlstown because of its historically high number of lesbian-owned businesses. Today, Andersonville Chamber boasts over 130 LGBTQ-owned businesses and its membership under Laura's direction. For nearly a decade, with upwards of 20 events a year, Laura has fought for precious resources to protect the small-town charm and feel of our neighborhoods. As a queer mom, such as myself, she understands that strong and resilient communities are built by caring for others like your own family.

1:26:03 Through the pandemic, where LGBTQ-owned businesses reported higher rates of financial losses, with some studies indicating 27% more losses than non-LGBTQ plus businesses, and my own business included, Laura and her team kept us all connected via the chamber newsletter where we reliably found timely resources and information, but most importantly, hope. Although inclusivity is a hallmark of Andersonville, our neighborhood is far from perfect.

1:26:34 Understanding that black trans women are the most unprotected and disrespected individuals in society today, Laura's continued collaboration with organizations such as Chicago Therapy Collective and Hire Trans Now on equitable hiring practices, as well as hosting How to Be Ally forums, is to be commended. After the disappearance and death of our dear friend and trans activist, Elise Mallory, Laura and her team were there with us, working towards healing with community and the 40th and 48th wards.

1:27:07 Laura was instrumental in the push to dedicate Elyse Mallory Way and Plaza. This welcoming space will not only help bring the community together for decades to come, but will also serve as a reminder for the accepting and inclusive world that Elyse longed to live in. Laura, thank you for your friendship and love for our community. You're an inspiration to me and the young LGBTQIA plus people who follow behind you. You're an embodiment of the community values of not only diversity and inclusion, but of true equity for all.

1:27:41 I know you still may be recovering from this past Midsummer Fest weekend. I am sporting a fabulous cowgirl hat that I got this weekend, and I wear this for pride and also in solidarity and celebration of Juneteenth, marking the end of slavery in the United States and to honor black cowboy freedom fighters. The people united will never be defeated. Laura, thank you for letting me honor you today, and everyone, happy Pride.

1:28:15 Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Haddon. Thank you, Mr. President. I, too, rise to be associated with this resolution, and thank you to everybody in the box. Thank you for your work, your service to our community, not just the LGBTQ community, but, of course, all of Chicago. It was really a highlight. June's become my favorite month. So January's my birthday, so by default, January has just kind of been a good month for me.

1:28:49 And since taking this job, January's a little slower. Fewer constituent requests. We're coming off the holidays, so I've fallen more in love with the month of January. But June, over these last couple of years, as someone who is black and gay, June, you just can't beat it. Black and gay, right? Black and gay, celebrating pride, celebrating Juneteenth, the beginning of summer, the solstice, graduation, Father's Day.

1:29:29 We had a great festival in the neighborhood over Father's Day weekend. There's so much to celebrate in June. I appreciate our city, our efforts, your organizations, and the opportunity that we have. And I know we've got a long day. We started late, y'all. We got resolutions. We had six acknowledgments, all very worthwhile. And I know we are probably digging in a little bit for some Rule 41s and debates and conversations. But I'll say that I am very honored to serve the 49th Ward and to serve in a city council where we honor Pride Month,

1:30:06 where we honor the contributions of our LGBTQ community, where we fight and stand up for our LGBTQ plus residents, And where we get to celebrate that in the same day and the same week that we celebrate Juneteenth, where we raise our Juneteenth flag on Monday. I would ask those in the chambers to remain quiet, please. If you feel disrespected, then you should maybe question why that is.

1:30:45 We good. All right. where on Monday we got to raise our Juneteenth flag up next to our pride flag up next to our Chicago flag up next to our county flag we live in a nation where every day what we see on the news and and what we might experience in talking to family members is one that seems to be ripping itself apart where people with hate in their heart are getting all the attention I'm so tired

1:31:20 of hateful people getting all the attention, guys, because that's not the majority of Chicago. The Chicagoans I know, the neighborhoods I've had the opportunity to work in from Rogers Park to Hegwish to Sleepy Hollow to South Shore, Portage Park, Jeff Park, Albany Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Square, South Shore. I've found friends in every single neighborhood in this city.

1:31:54 People who love our city, they love their neighbor, they stand up for one another. So the folks in the box today, and I promise I'm just going to speak once. I'm just going to speak once. Good, you're fine. We'll make this Juneteenth and pride all in one. But Juneteenth and pride all in one, embodied in the representation of intersectional identities. I am interested at the reaction this is getting. But, yeah, Chicago is such a wonderful city. We will keep each other together. We will keep our city together. We will be united. And I think that's the theme, right? The theme for the Pride March this year. It was the theme for our Father's Day Artist of the Wall Festival at Loyola Park this year.

1:32:39 It was all together now. And I think that as we face division, as we stare down hatred, bigotry, people moved by their hatred and bigotry to the point of assassination, of assassinating political leaders who are standing up for our rights. People who can't figure out how to act within the really generous confines of our democracy.

1:33:10 So, to clarify, this is a resolution for Pride Month.

1:33:53 Hold on a second, please. If those of you who continue to outburst, I would ask the Sergeant at Arms to remove you. Mr. Sergeant at Arms, could you please remove this woman?

1:34:34 I just want to remind the folks who are visiting us today in the chambers, We appreciate your public participation. However, the outbursts are not only provocative, but they are disruptive, and it doesn't speak to our sensibility as a body of government. So if you cannot respect the general rules and ideas that are being expressed, I would either ask that you remove yourself, or I will ask that you be removed.

1:35:08 Chair recognizes Alderman Manhattan. Thank you, Mr. President. As I was saying, all together now, we don't all have the same experiences, and we don't all agree with the same things, but we live in a fantastic city. We're fortunate. We're blessed. We're honored to live here, whether we were born here, whether we moved here, whether we immigrated here. This is a fantastic city, and it's ours to keep.

1:35:39 So it is my honor and a joy to be able to live in a city where my multiple identities, I'm black every day, and I'm gay every day, and I'm a woman every day. Every day I wake up, even on council days, it's one of the things that I hear from constituents in the 49th Ward and around the city about why it's so important to have our representation.

1:36:11 For those who may have been confused, there's a whole resolution for Juneteenth. It should have its own day, and it should have its own moment. And there are a lot of us for whom, you know, we're here, we're Americans, we're Chicagoans, we have complex identities, and we get to celebrate all of that together. And it is meaningful to me, as it is meaningful to all who would celebrate freedom with Juneteenth, and all who would celebrate diversity, inclusion, tolerance, with pride, to be able to celebrate that together.

1:36:50 To have a month, to have days, to have flag raisings, to have parades. It's important for our young people. It's important for our elders. And it's important for all of us to unapologetically lean in, stand up, celebrate it, own it, wear it, And I thank you all for celebrating with me. Thank you to our guests. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you.

1:37:25 The chair recognizes Alder Fuentes. Thank you, Mr. President. We're going to hear of a lot of firsts today. I'm the first queer masculine presenting lesbians to ever represent the 26th Ward. And the beauty about firsts is that we paved the way for many other individuals to feel comfortable about being in their own skin. And so I want to thank the leaders in the box today, particularly for leading in many different sectors.

1:37:56 The LGBTQ community is a beautiful one, but one that has a lot of intellect, a lot of creativity, and a lot of resistance. We have been able to pave the way for a community in a way that we haven't seen across the globe. And I want to remind folks that pride and celebrating pride is an act of resistance. That's how it started. And so to love one another radically is an act of resistance. To be gay parents is an act of resistance.

1:38:28 To seek gender-affirming care is an act of resistance. To wave the pride flag is an act of resistance. To be here as an elected representative, a part of the LGBTQ community, is an act of resistance. In this current political climate, we cannot forget that. We cannot forget that. There is a federal administration that is seeking to terrorize trans women, to terrorize our community, to remove our right to marry one another.

1:39:01 So in this moment, I ask our community to remember to continue to love one another and to not let fear consume you. And I ask my colleagues here who are our allies To remember just how important solidarity is in this moment To remember how important solidarity is in this moment When individuals are asking not to ban books When individuals are asking for the right to bodily autonomy and gender-affirming care

1:39:36 Just remember that over 60 years ago we fought for these rights in the moment which they're trying to be taken away and so i'm proud just like my colleague maria hadden to be from the city of chicago i'm proud to live in a city where people love me for who i am but i also recognize that the media still gets my pronouns wrong that people still ask me if i'm in the right bathroom that people call me the he, she, it alderman all the time on media.

1:40:09 We still live in a political moment in which my right to be here is still questioned. So there's a lot of work to do. And the rhetoric coming from the federal government is emboldening a narrative that is dangerous to our livelihood. And so I ask us to be in community with one another. Yes, to celebrate Pride Month, and I'm going to join our alders and particularly Alderman Bennett Lawson for Pride Month and march right in front because I am unapologetically lesbian, and no one's taking that away from me.

1:40:51 But I also recognize that we have a moral obligation to keep doing the work and to keep people safe in a moment where a lot of us wonder how long we can ensure our own safety. And so I want to thank folks who have been a part of this body for a long time, that have supported ordinances to advance the work of the LGBTQ community, to protect the LGBTQ community, to allow us the right to celebrate. And I encourage all of us to continue to do the work on behalf of our community.

1:41:21 Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Chair recognizes Alderman Knudsen. Thank you, Mr. President. And I want to echo and thank everyone in the box. Bennett did a really good summary of everyone, and we're so grateful for the work you do in different ways in representing our community. What I would say is, as this conversation today has really carried on, and I appreciate everyone's words, we hear a lot in the back row of this body.

1:41:54 And often it's, you know, do we hold our tongue? Do we give it more attention? How do we respond? As a member of the LGBTQ community, this isn't a new situation. This is a situation we've all found ourselves in for years. But, in a way, hate... And hate, quite frankly, under this administration, the presidential administration, how it's been normalized, is seeping back in in a different way. There's not a single queer kid who's not being infiltrated by hateful symbols and language on social media,

1:42:27 in schools, when they come to visit the city council, which should be a safe space for everyone. And that is absolutely not acceptable. That's what pride's about. Pride is a symbolic celebration after years of so much work to show everyone that whether they feel unsafe in their community, in their school, there are so many of us who have their back and will stand up for them and will fight for them. That's why I'm proud to be, you know, one of us nine members of the LGBTQ caucus, arguably the most LGBTQ city council in American or world history.

1:43:12 And that's why I'm proud to be surrounded by so many allies in this council. It's not the caucus doing the work on its own. I felt so supported, as we all have, with everything we bring forward. And I thank you for that, because this is all of our work. And at times, we need to show up for your communities. We're in this together. We're making this a stronger, safer, and happier city. And I just want to say thank you to that. Thank you to everyone in the box, and just happy pride. Thank you. Thank you. Chair recognizes Alderman Dowell.

1:43:44 Thank you, Mr. President. Before I start, I just wanted to tip my hat to Alderman Knudsen. I think what you said is taken to heart. I hope everyone heard that. Thank you. Mr. Mayor, I wanted to stand and support this resolution and thank everyone in the box for living your authentic life and for being here this morning. i wanted to stand specifically to take an opportunity i haven't had the opportunity

1:44:15 dr green to thank you for um the work that you did in my ward during covid when nobody would come out when nobody wanted to talk to our residents especially the seniors the work that you and shannon parker did was really very very important and i just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you, even though you're sitting in the box for a different reason. I also wanted to congratulate you on the opening of a clinic

1:44:49 that I hear you're opening on the south side. In the seventh ward? Watch him. But to congratulate you, and thank you so much again. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Alderwoman Dow. The chair recognizes Alder LaSpada. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Very glad to rise in support of this resolution.

1:45:21 And as this is an annual conversation in council, I thought, do you have something new or different to say? And I realized I did because I just recently watched a documentary on Rock Hudson, All the Heaven Allowed, online. And it was very interesting to me because this is someone who was very important to my dad, who my dad actually knew briefly their careers crossed paths. And to learn more about his life made me reflect on how unimaginable the circumstances of his life were to me.

1:46:03 The idea to live and not feel like you could be in public with your partner, go out to eat with your partner because it would terminate your career is something I can't, I literally cannot imagine that. To not be able to raise my daughter would be unimaginable to me. And when I reflected on his passing, the idea that people were actively rooting for his death is such a grim reality.

1:46:35 And I thought about that as the reality that, as my colleagues have pointed out, so many would like to see us go back to it that is where they would like to see us slide back to and to hear ottoman lawson talk about the theme this year is united in pride i think he he's talking to somebody else It made me reflect on everyone is united with something. And I feel like that is a call out to the 41 straight members of this council.

1:47:06 You're always united with something. In your silence, you're united with something. If you're sitting in your chair, you're united with something. And that is united with complicity in the direction that this country is sliding into. So when I hear the calls for solidarity, when I hear the calls for unity, I want to take that seriously, and I want to be held accountable for what that unity looks like as a straight member of this council. So thank you so much to everyone in the box, to our colleagues.

1:47:39 Deep, deep gratitude. Thank you. Thank you, Alderman Lesbada. The chair recognizes Alder Quezada. Mr. President, today as we honor the spirit of Pride Month, I want to thank and honor all of our guests we are recognizing today. Pride is a time for joy, celebration, and visibility, but it is also a time to remember our roots. Pride began not as a parade, but as a protest.

1:48:11 The first Pride Parade was a riot, led by trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, against police violence and the criminalization of queer existence. Their courage lit a fire that has never gone out. I'm also thankful that this body passed and our city and county is working on a working group to address the tragedy of trans femicide and gender-based violence, especially toward black trans women.

1:48:41 Our struggles and destinies as working people are interconnected, and we must never allow the ignorance of a few detract us from the liberation of the many. But at this time, I want to take a moment to recognize the extraordinary contributions of Robert Castillo, whose impact on the LGBTQIA plus movement in Chicago and beyond is both profound and enduring. By the time Robert Castillo was inducted into the Hall of Fame at just 33 years old, he had already devoted over a decade to grassroots organizing in defense of sexual and gender minorities,

1:49:17 particularly within Latino and Latina communities. A proud queer Latino man, Robert's work has embodied the intersection of identity, justice, and activism. From Queer Nation Chicago to ACT UP, from the Association of Latin Men Action to the Chicago Commission on Human Relations, Robert's presence has been felt in nearly every meaningful LGBTQIA plus effort in our city. Robert has helped build, lead, and transform our queer movements and organizations in the city of Chicago.

1:49:50 His leadership is bold, and his activism is personal. Robert's vision was, is, and always will be one of true inclusion and equity. Everyone in, no one out. Solidaridad entre todos los pueblos is the vision of Robert Castillo. Robert reminds us that pride is not just about celebration, but it is also and forever will be about struggle and resistance. Thank you very much. Thank you. So I just I have two more speakers. Alderman Lamont Robinson has requested to close.

1:50:27 So I have Alder Vasquez and then Alderman Lamont Robinson. The chair does recognize Alderwoman Stephanie Coleman. Do you wish to be added as a quorum roll call? Madam Clerk, could you please add Alderwoman Stephanie Coleman to our quorum? All right. The chair recognizes Alder Vasquez. Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in solidarity, pride, and love with this resolution. Chicago is an amazing city because of its LGBTQIA plus community.

1:51:00 When you think about the strength and why part of the reason why the flag is a rainbow one is in the power of what that coalition means. There are few coalitions in the country and in the world that are so intersectional that they touch every part of other community. And it allows us sometimes to get outside of our own identity and learn what oppression can look like. It is something that has empowered so many. We've got good news for folks who might have felt a certain way about some of the comments that we've heard publicly.

1:51:31 Ignorance is a temporary status. With education, with exposure, with understanding how many family members we all have that are members of the community, it dissipates, it goes away. People forget about how traumatized they are in their own pain if they don't understand that they're causing harm to others. And Chicago has been proof of that. When I think about all the amazing, powerful organizations here that do so much work, like Equality Illinois, like Brave Space Alliance, Affinity Community Services,

1:52:03 Chicago Therapy Collective, they've grown, they've fought when needed, they've defended people who need defense and continue to do so. And the thing that we want to make sure everybody understands is you're never going to be alone in that fight. But we're always going to be here because we're watching as a federal government is literally attacking everyone, literally taking away history. When you hear a defense secretary wanting to remove the name of Harvey Milk from a ship, right, it may be something that they do to speak to their base.

1:52:34 It is removing history. They don't want us to understand that we're all under attack. Because if everyone's so focused on their own community being attacked, they don't understand that we all are. And when you understand that we have a shared oppression going on, there's a shared struggle that we're fighting in and a shared prosperity we can find together. And so I want you all to always make sure you're challenging us to do better. I want to shout out some amazing 40th Ward organizations and businesses. We got Nobody's Darling, Beard's nominee. Absolutely.

1:53:06 40th Ward in the house. We've got Whiskey Girl Tavern. We've got Howard Brown Health. We've got Gerber Hart Library, which is going to be celebrating its 45th anniversary coming up. And if you go now, and I would advise you all to go now, they're celebrating Windy City Times, 40 years of their anniversary. And if you think about the work that they've done historically, when you think about the work of the LGBTQ community and keeping all of us safe, being the only ones fighting when there is an AIDS epidemic and making sure the rest of the public understood what needed to be done. We have to, at our core, understand that we are all the same family and in the same fight.

1:53:42 So I want to make sure to thank you all for the work. Shout out Laura Austin as well from Andersonville Chamber, Andersonville in the house. Pride gets a lot of support. Midsummer Fest should get its name up there as well as competitive. And I want to make sure we shout that out. As well as Mark Lieberson, 40th Ward neighbor, who organizes a lot of these events and Pride Fest. And Brian Johnson, also 40th Ward neighbor. So, again, I look forward to the time where we don't have to think about all the fights because we've gotten past it all and understand that we can all be who we are.

1:54:15 We can all love who we love and we can all love each other for it. So thank you so much. And thank you, Mr. President. You're welcome. And I would be remiss if I did not shout out Mayor Lori Lightfoot, LGBTQ. We voted to be our mayor here as well. Thank you very much. Thank you. All right. So I have two final speakers, unless there are any other alders that wish to speak to this resolution. Our final two speakers. The chair recognizes Alderman Stephanie Coleman.

1:54:49 Mr. President, I could not be remiss in supporting this resolution and then welcoming and seeing 16th Ward's own Ms. Tara Campbell, who's the newest board member of the five committee and then also Southside's own Dr. Maya Green and the amazing work that you have done not only in this community but in the Englewood community that Alderman Taylor and I share as well as Alderman Lopez Moore and Hall in the Englewood community and just to highlight the amazing work that you all have done and Dr. Gales and so many

1:55:28 others but also want to bring forth the Chicago urban pride picnic in the fifth ward and celebrating our people and the culture so God bless you all thank you so much and happy pride thank you all the woman Coleman all right our final speaker alderman Lamont Robinson thank you mr. mayor as we come to close on this resolution today, I want to once again share my immense gratitude. I want to thank my colleagues

1:56:03 on the LGBTQ plus caucus, our allies on the city council, and you, Mayor, for being true leaders in helping us celebrate Pride Month. I want to thank Dr. Salvo, whose art and activism are actively on display here at City Hall and whose work has benefited countless Chicagoans. Most importantly, I want to thank the members of the LGBTQ plus community who've come before

1:56:38 us, who have paved the way for us not only to exist openly as our true selves, But to be accepted, protected, and truly celebrated. Leaders like Lorraine Hansberry, who was the first black woman to have a show produced on Broadway, and whose tireless work, A Raisin in the Sun, helped educate our nation on what it is and what it's like to live under racial segregation.

1:57:19 James Baldwin, whose work profoundly shaped conversations around race, sexuality, and identity, and whose passion continues to impact our work today. Bayard Rustin, who organized Freedom Rides, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the March on Washington, whose work has taught us the invaluable lessons about nonviolence.

1:57:50 Friends, let us not forget our history. These are the very men and women who've made it possible for me to stand here today As I thank Chairwoman Dowell and Chairwoman Harris for this opportunity to support me, as we celebrate Pride Month today, we must take a moment to reflect on the fact that it coincides with Juneteenth.

1:58:25 I'm especially grateful for the black members of the LGBTQ plus community who fiercely and selflessly fought for our rights and our freedoms. They paved the way for people like me to become the first openly black gay man elected to serve in the Illinois General Assembly and the first openly black gay man to serve in this body.

1:58:56 They paved the way for my beloved colleague, Maria Haddon, the first queer black auto person in this body for state Senator Mike Simmons, the first openly black gay man in the Illinois State Senate for Commissioner Precious Brady Davis, the first transgendered woman to be appointed and later elected transgendered woman to be appointed in the water reclamation in the state and the county at a time.

1:59:54 when homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, and outright racism, rhetoric comes from Washington, is funneling attacks on all of our communities. Let us look at the leadership of those who came before us for the courage, the inspiration to keep fighting for equity and keep preserving, keep pushing through the biggity, and keep loving in our community.

2:00:30 May their work remind us of pride. It must be intersectional. And it is incumbent to us to continue their legacy. Again, Victor, I want to thank you for your work, not only being the architect of the legacy wall here in City Council, but for your activism and the key role you helped to play in the efforts to combat HIV-AIDS here in the City of Chicago.

2:01:04 And for your right, for your work, excuse me, and equal rights. Chicago, my friends, is undoubtedly better, more inclusive and more proud place for all because of your dedication to our community, Victor. As Alderman Dow mentioned, I was there, I was in Illinois General Assembly when folk did not want to come and test our folk for COVID.

2:01:37 didn't want to come. Our seniors were at risk. And of all the great health care institutions in Chicago, That, Mr. Mayor, I'm not going to name, we had to have an organization that their basis is in the LGBTQ community, that came to the South Side and tested our folks. Autumn and Dow, thank you for bringing that up today. Maya, thank you for the work that you did to protect our folks in the city of Chicago.

2:02:13 I want to close today by asking a favor of my colleagues. There are members of the LGBTQ plus community and all 77 neighborhoods of this great city, regardless of the politics.

2:02:48 I see somebody's missing. It's interesting. They're missing. And the demographics. There are LGBTQ plus citizens in all 50 wards of this city and represented by all 50 aldermen in this body.

2:03:18 I ask that you spend some time downstairs reading the legacy wall and learning about the beauty, the strength, grit, and devotion of the LGBTQ plus community. I ask that you spend time truly, colleagues, embracing the value and the impact of the LGBTQ plus history and how it has made Chicago better, safer.

2:03:50 and how you can contribute to their work by serving the LGBTQ plus community. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and happy pride. Thank you. Thank you, Victor Salvo, Robert Castillo, Joshua Marburger, Laura Austin, Devin Hanley, Steve Long, Ron Thomas, and all of the members that are in the box today. You know, this entire body speaks in a united voice,

2:04:23 not just for a resolution, but for a people. Chicago has a proud and vibrant LGBTQ plus community who have made indelible contributions in every corner of our city. Their influences can be felt around the city. They're recognized through North Halstead Legacy Walk, the AIDS Garden Chicago, the Progress Flag and Daly Plaza, and the Belmont and Andersonville communities, just to name a couple.

2:04:55 Every June, we come together to celebrate the story, the history, and the resilience of the LGBTQ plus community. Pride Month has been articulated already, born out of resistance, traced to the Stonewall riots of 1969, where the community fought back during a late-night raid at the now historic Stonewall Inn. A year later, hundreds of LGBTQ plus people and allies gathered to march in New York, Los Angeles, and right here in Chicago.

2:05:32 Today, pride welcomes thousands of residents, visitors from various communities, advocacy groups who continue to support the ongoing fight for not just recognition, but for the right to continue to show up in your most authentic self. And while there are many great strides that we have made in the LGBTQ plus community, we know that there is still much work to be done. We have to continue to fight for equal rights, for safety, marriage rights,

2:06:06 and accessible gender-affirming health care. Please know that my administration and I are proud to be strong allies, allies of people LGBTQ plus community have a right to feel safe and secure and welcome in Chicago and even as we deal with raids today Chicago is a very powerful place of resistance and we owe a lot of that to the LGBTQ plus community

2:06:36 Happy Pride Month Alderman Mitchell, I have a motion to approve this resolution. Mr. President, I move passage in the omnibus. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Happy Pride Month.

2:07:09 As the members of the box exit, as we prepare for our final resolution, I do want to give special acknowledgement to the Cook County Commissioner of the 1st District, representing the west side and the western suburbs of Cook County. Tara Stamps is here. Can you all give her a nice round of applause? Thank you.

2:08:17 Our next resolution is honoring Juneteenth. And with this resolution, today we are officially announcing the Reparations Task Force.

2:09:38 And Alderwoman Coleman has asked to provide the opening remarks. For the Juneteenth resolution, the chair recognizes Alderwoman Stephanie Coleman. Thank you, Mr. President. President, on behalf of the Chicago Automatic Black Caucus, we would like to welcome the reparations task force. It's been a long time coming. And I'm so grateful to this administration for to you, Mr. President, for being receptive and your leadership and ensuring that there

2:10:10 we weren't watered down to a subcommittee, but in fact, a task force. I have to acknowledge Pastor, Congressman. You were the first pastor and elected official to even have the blueprint for people like my mother and Pastor Leonard DeVille and now Pastor Will Hall. So I'm so grateful for you, Congressman Rush. And then, of course, our former commissioner of the Water Reclamation District, McGowan is in the house, the West Side is in the house. And just seeing the diversity here of the business community, of our clergy community,

2:10:44 our civic community, education. I'm just really grateful and thankful under the leadership of Chairman Desmond Yancey as he'll be co-chairing this task force. But just thank you, and we're looking forward to repairing and righting the wrongs of black people here in the city of Chicago. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Alderwoman Coleman. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Michelle Harris. Thank you, Mr. President. I, too, rise to support this resolution, and I'd like to thank everybody who's in this box who has fought hard for people of color, who has taken on the fight, put on your Superman cape, and have gone across the city of Chicago to help us in a fight and often do things and say things that as elected officials we cannot say and do.

2:11:34 So today we embrace you. We love you. My superwoman, Gwen Jones over there, who keeps it down for me in the South Shore grid, I want to thank her for her leadership and everything that she does in serving our community and giving back to our community. Many times people don't get to say thank you, that they care about you, you are thanked, you are appreciated for all your hard work, and there is so much more work to do.

2:12:08 To everybody in that box that I know on a personal level, I thank you for your commitment for staying in government, congressmen, for such a long time to get down in the federal government and fight. I appreciate you and Commissioner Barbara McGowan for your leadership. And I could go on and on, so make me name everybody in the box, I'm going to get in trouble. So thank you, James Compton. I see you sticking your head from back there for your many, many, many years of fighting for African Americans. So I thank everybody in that box.

2:12:39 You are truly leaders. You are appreciated in ways that I cannot begin to say or to think or to repeat. I appreciate you, and I thank you for your unselfish giving back to the city of Chicago. Thank you. Thank you, Alderwoman Harris. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Pat Dow. Thank you, Mr. President. I, too, rise to be in support of this resolution. First, I want to acknowledge everyone in the box.

2:13:12 I want to thank you for putting forth the best efforts to maintain and uplift our communities in the tradition of our ancestors. We thank you. I also want to acknowledge my neighbor, Congressman Rush, my friend and pastor, Reverend Granberry, Commissioner Barbara McGowan, and the great artist, Mr. Rami.

2:13:42 I know a lot of other people in there, but those are the ones that I want to acknowledge. But I'm here specifically to uplift James Compton. And I uplift James Compton and congratulate him. He is the former CEO and president of the Urban League. And Jim's civil rights history speaks volumes. He has served Chicago effectively and professionally over many, many decades.

2:14:15 He's one of those leaders who has wielded knowledge and influence to foster and create partnerships that have pushed the boundaries of what the city of Chicago could be. He played a key role in the election of Mayor Harold Washington, and his public policy advocacy has changed the conditions of urban Chicago. He has a strong voice. You know that voice like E.F. Hutton?

2:14:49 When he speaks, you listen, and people often seek his counsel and advice. Jim, I want to thank you for your contributions to the city of Chicago. I would ask you to stand so that people can see you and congratulate you. We want to give you your congratulations today,

2:15:19 and I'm proud to claim you as a resident of the third ward who continues to still be active. Thank you. Thank you, Alderwoman Dow. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor. Thank you, Mr. President. Brother Rami has a mural dedicated in my ward. Thank you for always teaching us our history, but also being in the present. You know, too often we walk away from what is happening because we didn't have done our due diligence. So thank you, brother, for not walking away.

2:15:50 We gather today to celebrate Rashaun Sanders Ward, a visionary leader in the heart and soul behind Red Clay Dance Company. Rashaun's journey is a testament to her passion for dance and her commitment to cultural exchange. Her work is not only enriched in our community, but has extended its reach across continents. Vashon's impact is profound, from her founding Red Clay Dance Company to her international engagement. She has performed and taught in Senegal, Rwanda, Uganda, and South Africa, leaving an undeniable mark on each country.

2:16:25 Her vision to build an arts center in Uganda within the next few years speaks volumes about her dedication to fostering artistic expression and profounding opportunities for communities abroad. Moreover, Vashon is a proud business owner in the 20th Ward, contributing to the economic and cultural vibrancy of our local community. Her leadership and entrepreneurship spirit serves as an inspiration to us all. Let us honor Varshawn Sanders Ward for her artistic achievements, her global impact, and her unwavering commitment to our community.

2:17:03 Thank you, Varshawn. Stand up, sister, so people can see you. This is an honor who opened up during COVID despite being told that ain't the community you want to be in. She has not left. She invites us in. You want to learn the lion dance. You want to learn to do African dance. Red Clay is the place to be. Thank you, Varshawn. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Thank you, Alderwoman. Taylor. The chair recognizes Alderman David Moore.

2:17:36 I'm not at my mic. I'm sorry. Thank you so much, Mr. President. As we are about to embark on the 23rd, on the 100th birthday of Reverend Clay Evans, I'm reminded of something he used to say. You don't have to get up and preach after the sermon has been spoken. So thank you, Alderman Taylor. I will not try to hold you all long. But something else he was just saying, look over, as you know, Congressman Rush, my, my, my, my, my.

2:18:11 What a body of work in this box right here. And I just want to say thank each and every one of you. When we think about Juneteenth, we think about reaching back, going back and get some people that were left behind. And I have no doubt that many of you have done that. But today I ask that from the 17th Ward, that Pastor Maurice Dishman from Zion Temple come down here today. You may stand. The reason why, because he's out there reaching back, making sure that our young people and our residents are not left behind.

2:18:56 You all may not know him totally now, but you're going to know him. He's a voice out there. he's out there praying when no one else can do anything out there reaching every friday in our community to make sure that we keep that violence down so everything that you talk about mayor not only just cpd we have people on the ground making sure that we can do other things and help other people so that that's all contributed to bringing these numbers down so thank you so much thank you

2:19:28 all because we're standing on many of your shoulders. And for that, I appreciate and respect and honor each and every one of you. God bless. Thank you, Alderman Moore. Chair recognizes Alderman Hall. Thank you, Mr. President. I stand too to rise, not only this celebration, but this resolution. There's just so much black history in that box that makes not only Chicago proud, but the world proud. And I want to, in particular, shine light on a sixth ward resident who

2:20:00 makes all of us proud. Every single day, there's not a day that she doesn't not only pray for her ward. If the weather's right, she's walking in a ward. If it's the issue, she calling her alderman in the ward. But most of all, when she closed her business, she and her family, after a long journey of serving the ward with a great medical business, she stayed in the ward. And so her loyalty to her award in her city is what makes us celebrate not only her, but celebrate the entire city

2:20:30 today. Thank you so much, Brendan. Thank you, Alderman Hall. Chair recognizes Alderman Yancey. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Juneteenth holiday is observed annually on June 19th, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. A combination of the words June the 19th, the holiday also called Freedom Day, has been celebrated since 1866 and is considered one of the oldest continuing African-American holidays.

2:21:03 In 1863, during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, of course, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than 3 million enslaved people living in the Confederate states to be free. Chattel slavery remained legal in border states loyal to the Union, like Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and West Virginia, and was not officially abolished until the 13th Amendment was passed. Today, on June 18, 2025, as co-chair of the Mayor's Reparation Task Force, I'm honored to rise in support of this resolution. I'm excited for the progress the Reparations Task Force has made thus far in this tremendous moment for our city,

2:21:35 and I look forward to continuing and partnering with my colleagues in the Chicago Automatic Black Caucus to continue this work. I'd like to recognize Fifth Ward resident Russell Pike, a homeowner in the Jackson Park Highlands and member leader of the Jackson Park Advisory Council, who celebrated his 75th birthday yesterday. Some of y'all might know his famous son, Russell, the amazing R&B singer here in Chicago. I'd also like to acknowledge Congressman Bobby Rush and his family as the first revolutionary to serve on Chicago City Council.

2:22:16 I'd also like to acknowledge artist Pamon Rami, the first African-American film cast and director in Chicago. Y'all may have seen his work. He provided talent for Blues Brothers, Mahogany, Cooley High, The Spook Who Sat by the Door, and Uptown Saturday Night. And, of course, a South Shore resident founder of Chicago Votes, hip-hop luminary, all-around good guy, T.J. Crawford. Thank you.

2:22:52 Thank you. Thank you, Alderman Yancey. The chair recognizes Alderman Jason Irvin. Thank you, Mr. President. And again, to all of those great individuals in the box, I think we have a great legacy here in the city of Chicago from the political atmosphere, from arts and culture, for all of the things that make a city go. We see it all right here In this time of the year in Juneteenth, as we celebrate freedom, we must also not forget the path that brought us here.

2:23:29 Again, I want to recognize Reverend Walter Jones, who's a West Garfield Park resident and works with young people. And I thought it befitting today that Reverend Jones come here because what we're the subject matter of what we're dealing with a little later and how it impacts our young people. But what I can tell you is that Reverend Jones is in the trenches with our young people on a daily basis, has a show on CanTV that deals specifically with our youth and is doing things, in my opinion, that is helping bridge the gap between our youth and ourselves.

2:24:07 And so I think it's a great honor. And Reverend Jones, if you would stand up so people can recognize and see you in the corner over there. So I know your work, many times you're not one that jumps up and says, me, me, me. But I thought it was befitting today that we recognize you and give you flowers while you can still smell them. God bless you. And thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Alderman Irvin. The chair recognizes Alder Haddon.

2:24:39 Thank you, Mr. President. Sorry, guys. Sorry. I said I wasn't going to speak again, then I realized a lot of us don't necessarily, especially women, take up a lot of space, and we're here anyway. So I want to thank every single person in the box, and I want to focus on especially the members who have signed up to be on our reparations task force. Alderman Moore, I know he stepped out here, but he mentioned the importance of

2:25:12 sometimes reaching back and bringing people forward. I've got, a lot of you are familiar with Sankofa. It's a meaningful, not just symbol, but to me a practice. I've got it tattooed on my arm. The Sankofa principle, right, is about learning from our past, going back and getting it, learning from our past and bringing it forward to have a better future. And I think, you know, I love the bird symbol, the one with the bird reaching back.

2:25:46 I know we've got a couple versions of it, but its feet are pointing forward. And to me, it's about our history and the importance of our past being a prerequisite for progress. If we don't remember, if we don't learn from, if we don't become students of our history, we won't move forward. We can't progress. That's what I've seen. And every single person in this box is, you're here because you've put yourself in service

2:26:20 to our broader community. You don't do things just for yourself. It's about our broader community. And the reparations task force, I want to commend our chairwoman of our Black Caucus, Alderwoman Stephanie Coleman. I want to thank you for your tireless efforts, as you mentioned in your opening statements, to move this forward. Members of our body, former Alderman Rod Sawyer, right, members of our task force, have worked for decades to make this an effort, and you've helped to make this a reality.

2:26:52 So I want to really give you your flowers on that, and thank you for that. I want to thank the colleagues in our Black Caucus, but, of course, everyone in city council who supported this in moving forward. And I want to thank, of course, our mayor. Thank you, mayor, for your commitment to this effort, because the work is just beginning. And for us, the city of Chicago, and for you, right, members of our reparations task force especially, to be embarking on this stage of the work in this moment in our country, I can't quite wrap my head around actually how radical that is, which is a good thing we got Congressman Rush here, right, how revolutionary that is.

2:27:38 and also what that does in putting yourself and your families and your communities at risk. But I don't think anybody in this box is new to that. You're standing up for our city, for black Chicagoans, for black Americans, and we're going to do something historic in a time when we are literally, our history is being erased, right? Right. When you've got folks taking down exhibits in national museums, you know, just as we talked about during our pride resolution, our history, our leaders, our legacies.

2:28:15 We've got, you know, an organization in the White House, a criminal organization in the White House and a bunch of radicals who want to pretend like it doesn't exist. but we exist our history is there chicago has always been a leader in the black civil rights movement and i'm just so proud to be a part of the council this body in this city during the time when our reparations task force is beginning so i look forward to supporting your work

2:28:46 i can't think of a better way to honor juneteenth thank you thank you mr president thank you chair recognizes alderman talia farrow thank you mr president i too rise in support of this resolution and want to congratulate and honor the heroes that are in the box. You know, your actions and your works over the last decades have really lent to the legacy of Juneteenth, and that's a legacy of equity, a legacy of freedom, and a legacy built on

2:29:19 civil rights. I particularly want to acknowledge my good friend from the West Side and the 29th Ward, And I think she needs no introduction. And that's my good friend, Commissioner Barbara McGowan. I first met Commissioner McGowan in December of 2014. I decided to run for alderman at the time. And my good friend, Ike Crothers, said, go take a picture with her.

2:29:54 And I'd never met her before. And I said, hey, can I take a picture with you? And she said, what are you going to do with it? I said, campaign. And she said, okay. But she had become, she was a little bit more harsh than that, but she has become nothing short of a great friend over the years. And she has fought for civil rights and equity for many, many decades, beginning with her volunteerism for Chicago's Mayor Harold Washington,

2:30:26 all the way through being a great supporter of mine and, in fact, has been and played a very instrumental role in everything I've done as an alderman. Her accomplishments are somewhat too numerous to talk about, and you could always read about them. But she's taken Water Reclamation District in the time that she's worked there and has really revamped the way that they look at things from an equitable perspective. Her program was well-known throughout the city, and that's a program where she brought a lot of attention to Black History Month with creating one of the best programs, Black History Month programs, that is seen throughout the city.

2:31:10 I congratulate you, Commissioner McGowan. It's an honor to be your friend, and it's an honor to have served with you. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Thank you. We just have a few more people that wish to be recognized before we pass this resolution. With that, the chair recognizes Alder Vasquez. is thank you very much mr president uh stand uh proudly in solidarity with this resolution uh celebrating freedom day i think as we all know we ain't free till everybody's free and there's

2:31:46 a lot more work to be done but it is an acknowledgement of at least some level recognition by the federal government of progress um i think in understanding the history and thank you to alderman yancy for sharing it even in that moment it took two years from it occurring to the message being delivered in Texas. This government has a lot of work to do. It had a lot of work to do then, even more so now. We are seeing an attack at every

2:32:19 level. When you hear Republicans talk about critical race theory or DEI, it's because the folks who are not so subtle in past decades try to find ways to masquerade their racism now. And what we understand and know is that no one has seen more oppression in this country than black folks. It's not a competition. It should never be a competition, but there should always be an acknowledgement. And whether you look at it at the federal level or you look at it in

2:32:53 Chicago with its history of segregation, it is an attack that is constant. Chicago history is black history black history is american history any attempt to separate that is one ignorant but also an intentional attack and an intentional attempt to divide a bunch a group of people all of us who are in solidarity with that movement when you think about chicago and you think about the black panther party and another shout out to congressman rush

2:33:26 for leadership, when you think about Chairman Fred Hampton, when you think about the work that Chicago has done and continues to do, we should be immensely proud, not just of the history that we're learning from, but the history we're going to continue to make in honor of what's happened before. When we see the federal government doing what it does, Chicago is going to stand the way Chicago does, even more proudly, even defiantly, understanding that we are a democracy in this moment. And so anything that we ever need to do, whether it's in legislation, whether it's in spirit, whether it's showing up in person, we are going to do as the former vice chair of the subcommittee on reparations.

2:34:06 Glad that you take a back seat to make sure we've got leadership there. But the spirit doesn't leave. We are more than happy to make sure that people are made due because they're owed that. When you build this country, you deserve to have paid for the work being done and for the trauma that's been inflicted. And Chicago is going to do what it needs to do to catch up. It's a little bit of embarrassment that Evanston's beaten us to it. We're going to make sure we make that right as well. And so really want to thank you all in the task force for what they're doing. To thank Chairwoman Coleman for her leadership and moving it and making it more than just words and putting some money to it.

2:34:43 And thank you to Mayor Johnson for also making it something with weight and substance that leads to more than just lip service. So thank you very much for your leadership. Thank you for your leadership. And thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Derek Curtis. Thank you, Mr. President. As we talk about freedom fighters, I want to thank everybody in the box today. Thank you so much for paving the way for so many of us. Commissioner McGowan, retirement, look really, really good on you.

2:35:27 I want to, and I'm going to do this real quick because we're going to make it a short city council day. This young man needs no introduction. And in short, I'm just going to lay his highlights out. Number one, that means the most to me, he spent five years in the U.S. Army. So he's one of our veterans, fought for this country. Civil rights activist, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, spent 10 years in City Council, Second War Alderman,

2:36:04 before being elected to Congress for the rest of his 30 years of service, which he's still serving, actually, right now. He's a great pastor. Introduction to you. I honor you. Thank you for being my friend for years and years. and a mentor. We talked about so many things, and I really appreciate that. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you our legendary Congressman Bobby Rush.

2:36:57 He won't stop. Thank you and your family. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Unless there's anyone else, our final speaker for this resolution will be Alderman Lamont Robinson. Mr. Mayor, thank you very much. I don't want to belabor the point of the wonderful folks that are in the box,

2:37:33 but I want to acknowledge a few folks that are here with us this afternoon. There's a sister that's in the box that we are now celebrating Juneteenth, but this sister has been celebrating Juneteenth for over 10 years. As well as championing black businesses in the city of Chicago, Sister Meekins, can you please stand up and just be recognized again, not only for your great remarks for our city of Chicago Juneteenth celebration, but again, for the work that you do 365 days for our community.

2:38:32 Thank you and God bless you. Alderman Yancey mentioned his resident. I have been watching this young man for all my life. When we think about black excellence, we think about Russell Pike and his wife, who, Mr. Mayor, was my grammar school teacher at McDade before I was kicked out.

2:39:06 But that's another conversation for another day. Mr. Pike, good to see you. God bless you. Congressman Rush has been recognized today, but I realize that watching his work over the years and as Alderman Dow, watching him as my neighbor, the reason that Congressman Rush looks so great and is moving so swiftly is because of the woman next to him, and that's Ms. Rush.

2:39:42 Ms. Rush, thank you for helping us preserve our national history maker. Yes, he is Chicagoan. Yes, he's a Black Panther. But he has been recognized across the country. And so I want to thank you for, again, preserving our great historian, our great congressman, city council member, pastor, Congressman Bobby Rush.

2:40:19 Thank you very much. Mr. Mayor, there is a gentleman behind me who always teases me when I go visit the West Side. Most folk don't realize that my family as a South Sider comes from the West Side. Absolutely, absolutely. But there is a sister that's in the box who has a building named after her in the Gold Coast.

2:40:51 And... That don't get no better than that, and it is because of the work that she has done for the city of Chicago. Commissioner McGowan, good to see you, and God bless you. Autumn Endow mentioned Brother James Compton. Brother Compton, thank you for giving us Herald, and thank you for giving our community economic self-resilience.

2:41:37 Thank you for what you have done with the Chicago Urban League and making the lives of black folks better. God bless you, and we appreciate you. Mr. Mayor, as I wrap up my remarks, with all of the cuts that we're seeing in government, we have to have folks in our community that help us do our jobs to be able to take care of our citizens.

2:42:11 I want to thank my high school colleague who has given us his father, Earl Granberry, Jr., who has for, I want to say, 30-plus years, has given us his father, Pastor Earl Granberry, Sr. Pastor, can you please stand?

2:42:44 Mr. Mayor, I, prior to being in the Illinois General Assembly, had a very successful insurance practice. I mean, if you know, I am no longer there because although this job is a part-time job, whoever said that is a doggone lie. This is also, this is a full-time gig. But I learned the recipe of being an insurance agent and being a successful insurance agent by my pops, Pastor Earl Granberry, Sr.

2:43:23 You see, Pastor Granberry was also a successful insurance agent here in the city of Chicago. Had amassed a great wealth, but at some point of his life, he wanted to give back truly to his community. Not just becoming a pastor, but by starting a ministry that's called Acts of Kindness. I want to give acknowledgement to Alderman Dow, where his church sits. But, again, with all of the cuts that we're facing in our communities,

2:43:59 Pastor Granberry does a full Thanksgiving meal at his church for all of Chicagoans, Just not in the third ward or the fourth ward. He gives food at Christmastime, food at Thanksgiving, has feed the migrants, which is interesting because that's another conversation for another day. We have an African-American pastor that feeds everybody because he understands the importance of God's love and feeding everybody.

2:44:34 But also, when, Mr. Mayor, I had two families in my ward, two separate families, that got burned out of their home, lost everything. I didn't call the Red Cross. I didn't call the Department of Housing. My first call was to Pastor Earl Granberry. And I said, Pastor, this family has lost everything.

2:45:05 And he said, son, give me their number. Those two people, families, called me to thank me for not only the food items, Mr. Mayor, but Pastor Granberry furnished their entire apartments. So when we think about Juneteenth, we think about our ancestors. The legacy continues because of not only folks in the box, but folks like Pastor Granberry.

2:45:47 that understands the importance of giving back to everybody. And so, Pastor, I want to thank you for your service, not only to me as my mentor and my pops, but to the citizens of the city of Chicago. We're grateful for your service, and we love you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Well done, everyone. Well done. Again, Jackie Taylor, Pastor Maurice,

2:46:19 Dishman Jr., Pastor Marvin Hunter, Reverend Walter Jones, Vershawn Ward, James Compton, Russell Pike, again, Pastor Earl Granberry, Commissioner Barbara Jean McGowan, Congressman Bobby Rush and Mrs. Rush, his children, Quinn Jones, Professor Rami, Brenda Housley, Cassiopeia Meekins. I'm not sure if Carol Johnson was able to be here today, but all the individuals that are in the box today that represent the best part of who we are as a people.

2:46:55 You know, over the years, as we have celebrated this holiday, it's important to note that we were a free people who were enslaved. And we're not just descendants of slaves. And over the years, as we celebrate this holiday and commemorate the era of independence here in these United States, it's important that we are constantly reminding ourselves of the greatness from whence we come, as well as the evolution of this democracy does not take place without the liberation of black people.

2:47:29 So as Southerners who migrated from the South seeking better lives, scientists, artists, innovators, leaders, organizers creating prominent black neighborhoods, whether it's Hyde Park, Bronzeville, Austin on the west side of Chicago, black people were freed from our constraints of slavery. In all of those years, it did not break our spirit as we still continue to confront systemic racism and inequalities that we unfortunately see still existing today.

2:48:09 As been articulated, I made a promise to drive reparations in this city, becoming the first mayor to actually dedicate funding towards this important endeavor. And reparations are how we confront the legacy of slavery, but it is also how we respond to the historic harms that have, unfortunately, been repeated against black Americans. And so the incredible task of the Chicago Reparations Task Force will be responsible for producing reparations study that will outline remedies of repair

2:48:41 and focus on wealth building, housing, education, health care, and health equity, and so much more. And so as we celebrate Juneteenth, let's always remember the spirit of why we do it. It's about reflecting on our past, but it's also about addressing the harms of systemic disinvestment, reclaiming the present through investments, and reimagining the future by planting roots that will grow and thrive for generations to come. So today we celebrate and recognize Juneteenth, and always remember it's not a criminal act to invest in black.

2:49:13 So with that, Alderman Mitchell, can I get a motion for the approval of this resolution? Mr. President, I move passage in the omnibus. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Happy Juneteenth, y'all.

2:49:46 Thank you. As the box clears, Alderman Mitchell, a motion to move back and return to the regular order of business. I move that we return to the regular order of business. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Alderman, woman Clay is here. We do recognize you. Please add her to the quorum roll call.

2:50:20 Thank you, Madam Clerk. Are you ready for the next one?

2:52:09 All right. Thank you all very much for your patience today. Next up, we do have communications. Madam Clerk. Communications from Ms. Honor the Mayor to the Honorable City Council of the City of Chicago. Ladies and gentlemen, I request the Commissioner of Planning and Development. I transmit here with an ordinance authorizing the execution of a TIF redevelopment agreement with Black Ensemble Theater Corporation to provide funding for improvements to the Black Ensemble Studio Theater. Your favor and consideration of this ordinance would be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Finance.

2:52:41 Ladies and gentlemen, the request of the Commissioner of Housing, I transmit here with an ordinance authorizing a city-owned land sale and provision of TIF assistance for the development of Southbridge Bay's IC project. Your favor of consideration to this ordinance be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Finance. Ladies and gentlemen, the request of the Budget Director, I transmit here with an ordinance amending revenue-related provisions of Title III of the Municipal Code. Your favor of consideration to this ordinance be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. Refer to the Committee on Finance. Ladies and gentlemen, request to the Commissioner of Planning and Development,

2:53:13 I transmit herewith an ordinance amending the Municipal Code of Chicago regarding lien assignments. Your favorable consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. Refer to the Committee on Finance. Ladies and gentlemen, request to the Comptroller, I transmit herewith an ordinance amending the Municipal Code to align the senior sewer exemption of the senior refuse discount programs. Your favorable consideration of this ordinance would be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. For the Committee on Finance. Ladies and gentlemen, I request the Commissioner of Housing. I transmit here with an ordinance authorizing bond inducement of the Homan Square Apartments Phase 4 project.

2:53:48 Your favorable consideration of this ordinance would be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. For the Committee on Finance. Ladies and gentlemen, I request the Budget Director. I transmit here with a 925 budget amendment. Your consideration of this ordinance would be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. Referred to the Committee on Budget and Government Operations. Ladies and gentlemen, I request the Commissioner of Planning and Development. I transmit herewith an ordinance authorizing Class 8 property tax incentive for a property located at 4,000 West Diversity Avenue. Your consideration of this ordinance would be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor.

2:54:20 Referred to the Committee on Economic Capital and Technology Development. Ladies and gentlemen, I request the Commissioner of Planning and Development. I transit herewith an ordinance authorizing a Class L property tax incentive for properties located in 900 West Lake Street and 200 North Peoria Street. Your consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Economic, Capital, and Technology Development. Ladies and gentlemen, I request the Commissioner of Planning and Development. I transmit herewith ordinances authoring the sale of city-owned properties. Your consideration of these ordinances will be appreciated.

2:54:51 Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. Ladies and gentlemen, the request of the Commissioner of Housing and Transmit here with an ordinance amending the City Lots for Working Families programs. Your consideration in this ordinance will be appreciated very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, for the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. Ladies and gentlemen, the request of the Commissioner of Housing and Transmit here with an ordinance authorizing the sale of City-owned lands and permit fee waivers under the City Lots for Working Families program. Your consideration in this ordinance will be appreciated very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, for the Committee on Housing and Real Estate.

2:55:23 Ladies and gentlemen, the request of the Commissioner of Fleet and Facility Management I transmit here with an ordinance authorizing the execution of an extended right of entry agreement with Lincoln Park Zoo's Urban Wildlife Institute for Research at Lurie Garden within Millennium Park. Your consideration of this ordinance would be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. Further, the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. Ladies and gentlemen, the request of the Commissioner of Transportation I transmit here with an ordinance amending the Right-of-Way Acquisition Ordinance of the Burley A. Avenue Roadway Improvements Project. Your consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated. Very true to yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, for the Committee on Housing and Real Estate.

2:55:58 Ladies and gentlemen, the request of the Commissioner of Transportation I transmit here with an ordinance amending the Right-of-Way Acquisition Ordinance of the Archer Avenue and Belt Railway Company of Chicago Grade Separation Project. Your consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated. Very true to yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. Ladies and gentlemen, with the request of the Commissioner of Transportation, I have transferred here with an ordinance authorizing the acceptance of grant easement from Union Pacific Railroad Company for the construction of pedestrian safety facilities. Your consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated.

2:56:29 Very true to yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. Ladies and gentlemen, with the request of the Commissioner of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, I transmit here an ordinance amending the Municipal Code to add license provisions regarding window obstructions. Your consideration in this ordinance would be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Ladies and gentlemen, at the request of the Corporation Council, I transmit here an ordinance amending the Municipal Code regarding assault against public officials. Your consideration in this ordinance would be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Public Safety.

2:57:03 At the request of the Budget Director, I transmit herewith the ordinance amending the Municipal Code regarding the composition of the City's Emergency Telephone System Board. Your consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated. Very true to yours, Brandon Johnson, referred to the Committee on Police and Fire. Ladies and gentlemen, at the request of the Commissioner of Planning and Development, I transmit herewith an ordinance authorizing the expenditure of open space impact fees, funds for garden development at 2616 North Albany Avenue. Your consideration of this ordinance would be appreciated. Very true to yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor.

2:57:33 Refer to the Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs, and Recreation. Ladies and gentlemen, the request of the Commissioner of Planning and Development, I transmit here with an ordinance authorizing the execution of an Adopt-A-Landmark Agreement with Greenstone United Methodist Church. Your consideration of this ordinance would be appreciated. Very true to yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. Refer to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Ladies and gentlemen, at the request of Commissioner of Streets and Sanitation, I transmit here with an ordinance of many of the Municipal Code regarding Parkway Trees. Your consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards.

2:58:06 Ladies and gentlemen, I have appointed Michael Belsky as Comptroller. Your consideration of this appointment will be appreciated very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, for the Committee on Finance. Ladies and gentlemen, I transmit herewith appointments to various special service areas. Your consideration of these appointments will be appreciated very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Economic Capital and Technology Development. Ladies and gentlemen, I transmit herewith appointments to the Residential Investment Corporation. Your consideration these appointments will be appreciated very truly yours. Brandon Johnson, Mayor for the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. Ladies and gentlemen, pursuant to Section 2-80-070 of the Municipal Code of Chicago,

2:58:43 I have appointed Louise Bermudez as a member of District Council 017 to succeed Steve Spagnuil. He has resigned. Your consideration this appointment will be appreciated very truly yours. Brandon Johnson, Mayor, for the Committee on Public Safety. Ladies and gentlemen, I transmit here with appointments to the Chicago Emergency Telephone System. Your consideration of this appointment will be appreciated, very truly yours. Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Police and Fire.

2:59:24 The appointment of Luis Bermadez will go to the Committee on Police and Fire. I, City Clerk Anna Valencia, hereby informed the City Council that the following documents were filed in my office relating to the respective subjects designated as follows. Determination Certificate of City of Chicago regarding a revolving line of credit agreement by and between the City of Chicago and Wells Fargo Bank National Association as to note of June 28, 2024, an aggregate outstanding amount not to exceed $265.5 million. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of Metropolitan Water Reclamation.

2:59:58 Thank you. District of Greater Chicago, for year-end to December 31, 2024, an Office of Inspector General's report concerning City of Chicago's implementation and enforcement of gun offender registration ordinance. I, City Clerk Flincy, informed the City Council that all those matters which were considered by the City Council at the regular meeting held on May 21, 2025, and through which we required by statute to be published in book or pamphlet form, or in one or more newspapers were published in pamphlet form on June 18, 2025, by being printed in full text and printed pamphlet copies of the Journal of Proceedings of City Council of the City of Chicago.

3:00:31 I, City Clerk Valencia, also transmit here with the following miscellaneous communications and reports requiring City Council action, zoning reclassifications of particular areas to refer to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards, claims against the City of Chicago to refer to the Committee on Finance, amendment of Title 17 of Municipal Code of Chicago by reclassification of area shown on map, No. 1-J at 3250-3256 West Franklin Boulevard, 519-523 North Spaulding Avenue, and 520-522 North Sawyer Avenue,

3:01:01 which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards, and Amendment of Ordinance, which is a reclassification area shown on map No. 5-G at 2225 North Dayton Avenue, which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Your Honor, that concludes the reports and communications from the Mayor and other city officers. Very well. Thank you much, Madam Clerk. Committee reports. First Committee Finance. Chair recognizes. Chairwoman Dowell. Thank you, Mr. President and members of the City Council. Reporting for the City Council's Committee on Finance, which held a committee meeting on June 3, 2025 and June 16, 2025, the following items received a due pass recommendation from the committee.

3:01:44 Item number one is the substitute ordinance amending Municipal Code Chapter 232-085 concerning voluntary charitable payroll deductions. Mr. President, unless someone wishes to speak on this item, I move passage of it by a roll call vote. Seeing no hands, there's a request for a roll call vote. Please, members, use the e-vote application to record your vote at this time. The vote is now open. The vote is now open. Please use your e-device. The vote is now open.

3:03:22 I will now take a voice vote for folks who have not used the e-device system and those online. Alderwoman Coleman. Not President Chambers. Alderman Moore. Alderman Moore is a yes. Alderman Curtis. Curtis is a yes. Alderman O'Shea. Not in chambers. Alderman Burnett.

3:03:53 Yes. Burnett is a yes. Alderwoman Rodriguez-Sanchez. Aye. Rodriguez-Sanchez is a yes. Alderman Conway. Not President Chambers. Oh, Alderman Coleman is a yes. Alderman O'Shea is a yes. Alderman Conway, not here. All right, the voting is now closed.

3:04:27 Thank you, Madam Clerk. There are 49 yeas, 0 nays. This motion passes. Alderman Mitchell, I want a motion to reconsider. Motion to reconsider the vote. All those in favor of the reconsideration of this vote signify by saying aye. Any opposed say no. This motion fails. Chair recognizes Alderman Riley. Mr. President, I wanted a point of clarification. As the clerk was reading into the record introductions by the administration,

3:04:59 it's my understanding that one such ordinance was not properly read into the record to identify the subject matter. I believe it was the third item that would have allowed members of this body to send it to a different committee. I understand that's the grocery tax that your administration is considering on foisting upon the people of Chicago. But we didn't get that read into the record as such. And had we been given the opportunity, I would have called a different committee.

3:05:29 The clerk is supposed to clearly read the ordinance into the record, and that was glossed over. It's supposed to be a descriptive title read into the record. That's a major substantive piece of legislation.

3:06:18 The item was read into the record as an amended item for revenue for Title III. It was read into the record correctly. It was not read into the record properly. No one here would know what that means unless there's a title, unless it's included in the title, what the actual subject matter is. Okay. So, I mean, that was a cute trick by the law department. Okay, listen, first of all, let's not make any considerations of what anyone's intentions were. In fact, this item in particular – Why not call it a grocery tax, Mr. President?

3:06:49 I mean, that's what it is. Why isn't it read into the record that way? It was read into the record correctly. If you have an issue with the content or the context, that sounds deeply personal. But it was read correctly. And this is – I don't know what that means, Mr. President, but I would have referred this to the Rules Committee where it should be. Well, what you would have done or could have done, you had an opportunity to do that. Well, if you hadn't violated the rules, Mr. President, we would have had this done properly. Thank you very much. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Dow. Thank you.

3:07:20 Item number – The chair recognizes Alderwoman Dow. Just a moment here, please. Item number two is an ordinance amending the Vehicle Violation Debt Relief Ordinance of 2025 to extend the debt relief period. I move passage of this item by the first most favorable roll call vote on the Committee on Finance report and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Hearing no objections, seeing no other hand, so order. Item number three is a substitute ordinance authorizing the execution of a tax increment financing redevelopment agreement.

3:07:54 and a renewed lease agreement with the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center for the property located at 1240 South Damien Avenue in the 28th Ward. I move passage of this item by the same motion. Hearing no objection, so ordered. Item number four is an ordinance authorizing the expansion and funding of the corridor manager marketing program in the Bronzeville Priority Corridor by adding 47th Street from Cottage Grove to Prairie Avenue in the 3rd Ward. I move passage of this item by the same motion.

3:08:27 Hearing no objections, so ordered. Item number five is the substitute ordinance authorizing the execution of the 65th Amendment to the service agreement with Summer Core 504, Inc., to extend the Small Business Improvement Fund Program to the Foster, Edens, and the Little Village East Redevelopment Project areas, and to amend the program rules and provide additional funding to 16 redevelopment projects areas in the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 10th, 15th, 16th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 30th, 31st, 33rd, 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th, 39th, and 45th wards.

3:09:15 I move passage of this item by the same motion. Hearing no objection, so order. Item number six is an ordinance authorizing the restructuring of the loan agreement with Argyle Neighborhood Development Corporation to forgive the principal amounts of the city loan and the sale and transfer of the San Miguel apartments at 907 West Argyle Street to 907 West Argyle, LLC, in the 48th Ward.

3:09:49 I move passages of this item by the same motion. So ordered. The chair recognizes Chairwoman Dow. Item number seven is an ordinance authorizing the restructuring of the loan agreement with Leland Limited Partnership to forgive the principal amount of the city loan and the release of the regulatory agreement for the Leland Apartments at 1201-1213 West Leland Avenue in the 46th Ward. I move passage of this item by the same motion.

3:10:32 So ordered. Item number eight is the substitute ordinance concerning the execution of a redevelopment agreement and the issuance of financial assistance to LeClaire Partners A North JVLP for the LeClaire Project at 4809 West 44th Street and 4442 South Cicero Avenue in the 22nd Ward. alderman gilbert viegas of the 36th ward recused himself from voting on this matter under rule 14

3:11:04 as his son has a paid summer internship with cabrera capital which is part of the financing team for this project i move passage of this item by the same motion so ordered item number 9 is the substitute ordinance introduced by Alderman Bennett Lawson of the 44th Ward to enter into an agreement with the Chicago Cubs Baseball Club, LLC, for the security enhancement project at 1088 West Waveland Avenue in the 44th Ward. I move passage of this item by the same

3:11:40 motion. So order. Item number 10 is the substitute ordinance. Just a second. If you raise your hand, The chair recognizes Alderman Moore. Thank you. It's so ordered, and I'm not voting against it, and I think it's a good ordinance, but I want to make sure as we're supporting this and, you know, yes, we want the World Series to come here and all of that, and we want to support, but I also encourage, I know the Cubs do some things in the community, toys, all that,

3:12:12 but we have some parks like Ogden Park and others that they can help donate. some infrastructure dollars too so as we help them we want to make sure that they're helping our community and our young people i just want to add that in mr thank you and it's already so ordered chair recognizes chairwoman dowel item number 10 is a substitute ordinance authorizing the issuance of chicago o'hare international airport general airport senior lien revenue bonds and the chicago midway international airport senior lien revenue bonds

3:12:46 I move passage of this item by the same motion, with the exception of Alderman Gil Villegas of the 36th Ward, who has recused himself from voting on this matter under Rule 14, as his son has a paid summer internship with Cabrera Capital, which is part of the financing team for this project. Very well. The chair recognizes Alderman Riley. Thank you, Mr. President. Alderman Riley and Alderman Lopez move to defer and publish this item. Very well. Thank you. The chair recognizes Chairwoman Dow.

3:13:18 Item number 11A is an order authorizing the Corporation Council to enter into and execute a settlement order in the case of Rafael Alcantara versus City of Chicago et al. in the amount of $400,000. I move passage of this item by the same motion. And for the record, I should have confirmed, Alderman Riley, who was the other person that wished to defer? Hey, Lopez. Alderman Lopez, you're giving a thumbs-up to that. This motion for 11A?

3:13:50 Yes. Very well. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Item number 11B is an order authorizing Corporation Council to enter into and execute a settlement order. In the case of William Carter v. Ronald Watts et al., in the amount of $2.1 million, I move passage of this item by the same motion. Hearing no objections, seeing no hands, so ordered. Item number 11C is an order authorizing Corporation Council to enter into and execute a settlement order

3:14:22 in the case of Bernard Williams v. Kristen Cato et al., in the amount of $7.5 million. I move passage of this item by the same motion. So ordered. Item number 11D is an order authorizing the Corporation Council to enter into and execute a settlement order in the case of James Gibson v. City of Chicago et al., in the amount of $14,750,000. I move passage of this item by the same motion.

3:14:54 Hearing no objections, seeing no hands, so ordered. Item number 12 is a communication transmitting reports of cases in which verdicts, judgments, or settlements were entered into for the month of May 2025. This will be placed on file with the clerk. Item number 13 and 14 consist of orders of authorization for the payment of various small claims against the City of Chicago and the denials of payments of various small claims against the City of Chicago. If there are no objections, I move that these items be placed in the passage in the omnibus.

3:15:29 So ordered. Item number 15 is two proposed orders authorizing charitable solicitation on the public way, permits for Worldwide Wildlife Foundation and Planned Parenthood Federation of Americas. These are citywide from July 1st, 2025 to December 31st, 2025. These will be placed on file with the clerk. The Committee on Finance also held a subject matter hearing on June 3rd, 2025 at 10 a.m.

3:16:01 and discuss the resolution introduced by Alderman Anthony Beal of the Ninth Ward and others regarding the impact of the recent credit rating agency downgrades. No votes were taken. Mr. President, this concludes my report. Thank you, Madam Chair, for budget and government operations. The chair recognizes Chairman Irvin. The chair recognizes Alderman Riley. Thank you, Mr. President. I wanted to go back to the item that we just discussed,

3:16:33 I believe you were assisted with by a corporation counsel, and I wanted to mention that the Open Meetings Act in Illinois, when introducing legislation, merely describing it by title number is not sufficient. The key principle of the OMA is transparency and the public's right to be informed about the business of public bodies. And here's why relying solely on a title number is problematic. Insufficient notice. It doesn't provide enough information for the public to understand what the proposed legislation is about. Lack of public knowledge. The public may not be familiar with the numbering

3:17:07 system or have access to information linking title numbers to the specific content of the legislation. Agenda content requirements. The OMA requires the meeting agenda set forth the general subject matter of any resolution or ordinance that will be the subject of final action at the meeting. This implies a more detailed description than a simple title number. The intent of the Act. The intent of the OMA is to ensure that actions and deliberations of public bodies are conducted openly and that citizens are given advance notice of what will be discussed or acted upon.

3:17:37 Providing only a title number hinders this purpose. Therefore, to satisfy the OMA, it's necessary to provide a subscription that gives the public a clear understanding of the general subject matter of the introduced legislation. This could include a brief summary of the proposed legislation's purpose and key provisions. And I know that members of your legislative team are very familiar with the OMA. I've discussed it with one member over the last 18 years. So it's my hope that he will share this with you, and perhaps we can revisit the way that that item was introduced to this body

3:18:12 without any discussion of the actual subject matter that it contains. This is about transparency, Mr. President. Thank you. Thank you, Audubon Riley. The chair recognizes Chairman Irvin. Thank you, Mr. President. Members of the City Council reported for the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations, which held a meeting on June 16, 2025. The committee has a series of reports recommending passage of the following items. Item 1 is the communication recommending the proposed ordinance concerning an annual appropriation ordinance year 2025 amendment within Fund 925.

3:18:50 I move passage of this item by the first favorable roll call of the Committee on Finance and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Very well. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Item number two is a communication recommending a proposed ordinance concerning a redevelopment agreement with Twisted Egg Roll LLC for the provision of neighborhood opportunity funds for the renovation of commercial property, jointly located at 657 East 75th Street in the 6th Ward. I move passage of this item by the first favorable roll call of the Committee on Finance

3:19:21 and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Item 3 is a communication recommending an amendment of Municipal Code Section 3-56-050 by amending Subsection E regarding waiver of fees imposed by the Chapter. I make the same motion if there is no objection. Hearing none, so ordered. Item 4 is a transfer of funds within the 40th Ward Wage Allowance and Automatic Expense Account for Year 2025. I make the same motion if there is no objection. Hearing none, so ordered.

3:19:54 Mr. President, that concludes my report Thank you, Mr. Chair Committee on Contract Oversight and Equity The chair recognizes Chairwoman Mintz Thank you, Mr. President A member of the City Council I'm reporting for the Committee on Contracts, Oversight, and Equity. We held a meeting on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, and the following item was passed by the Committee. Item number S02-024-0014417, a substitute ordinance for the Amendment of the Municipal Code,

3:20:37 section 2-92-955 to permanently establish a veteran-owned small local business participation goal program sponsored by Alderman Villegas. Mr. President, my colleague would like to be recognized, Alderman Villegas. Very well. Thank you, Chairwoman. The chair recognizes Alderman Villegas. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Chair. Good afternoon, colleagues. In In 2017, we took a bold and important step by creating the Program for Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise,

3:21:13 what we now proudly call the VBE Program. It was the first of its kind, a true milestone for the city of Chicago. This program opened a pathway for veteran-owned businesses to apply and win city contracts, recognize not only their service to our country, but also the enormous value they bring to our local economy. And let me tell you, it's been a game changer. Veterans bring with them unmatched tenacity, discipline, and grit. They know what it means to lead under pressure, to adapt quickly, and to never give up.

3:21:43 These are not just qualities of good soldiers. They're the hallmarks of great entrepreneurs. Veterans don't start businesses. They build resilient ones. They create jobs, drive innovation, and strengthen our communities. Nationwide, hundreds of thousands of veteran-owned businesses contribute over $200 billion in payroll annually. Over $200 billion in payroll annually. Most are small businesses, but their impact is anything but small.

3:22:13 They employ millions and provide essential goods and services in nearly every sector of our economy. Here in Chicago, we've seen the success firsthand, and we're not done yet. VBE currently has a sunset date in 2025, but we need this program to remain permanent, hence the ordinance. That's right, no expiration date, no question about our commitment to veterans. Codifying the VBE into law means veteran entrepreneurs will always have a place at the table in Chicago's economy. Chicago is open for business, and we are especially open to those who have worn the uniform

3:22:47 and now want to serve communities in a new way. By investing in veteran-owned businesses, we're investing in lasting strength, resilience, and prosperity for years to come. Thank you, colleagues, for your support. It truly means a lot, and I look for your passage of this item. Thank you. Farewell. Thank you, Alderman Vegas. The chair recognizes Chairwoman Mitz. Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the City Council concur in the recommendation of the Contracts Oversight and Equity Committee

3:23:18 and pass this item by the same roll call as item number one of the Committee on Finance Report and the Associated Unsuccessful Motion to Reconsider. Hearing no objections, so order. That concludes my report. Thank you, Madam Chair. For Economic Capital Technology Development, the Chair recognizes Chairman Villegas. Good afternoon, Mr. President, members of the City Council, reporting for the Committee on Economic Capital and Technology Development, which met on Thursday, June 12th, the committee held a meeting and recommended pass of the following items.

3:23:49 Items 1 through 3 are a series of SSA appointments and a reappointment. Items 1 and 3 are appointments of Anthony Clock and Sean D. Harris as members of Special Service Area No. 8, Lakeview East Commission, and No. 25, Little Village Commission, respectively. Item 2 is a reappointment of Elena Duran as a member of Special Service Area No. 25, Little Village Commission. I move for passage of these items by the first favorable roll call of the Committee on Finance and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider.

3:24:19 Hearing no objections, so order. Item 4 on the report is an amendment to the 2025 Service Provider Agreement and budget for SSA No. 34 in Uptown in the 46th, 47th, and 48th wards. I move for pass of this item by the first available roll call of the Committee on Finance and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Item 5 through 7 are tax incentive ordinances. They were approved by the committee.

3:24:49 Item 5 on the report is a Class L tax incentive ordinance for a property at 111 West Monroe in the 34th Ward. Items 6 and 7 on the report are Class 6B tax incentive ordinances. At 3100 North Branch Street in the 27th Ward and 4300 West Roosevelt Road in the 24th Ward. I move for pass of these items by the first favorable roll call, the vote of the Committee on Finance, and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Hearing no objection, so order. Thank you, Mr. President. That concludes my report.

3:25:20 Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the Committee on Environment Protection and Energy, the Chair recognizes Chairwoman Hatton. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President and members of the City Council, reporting for your Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy, which held a committee meeting on June 13, 2025. The committee has four reports and recommends the passage of the following items. Item 1 is A-2025-0017531, the appointment of Catherine Elias as a member of the Shoreline Advisory Board.

3:25:51 I move passage of this item by the first favorable roll call vote of the Committee on Finance and Associated Unsuccessful Motion to Reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Item 2 is A-2025-0017532, the appointment of William Schleiser as a member of the Shoreline Advisory Board. I move passage of this item by the first favorable roll call vote on the Committee on Finance and Associated Unsuccessful Motion to Reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. And item three is A-2025-0017533, the appointment of Joelle Zavala as a member of the Shoreline Advisory Board.

3:26:27 I move passage of this item by the first favorable roll call vote for the Committee on Finance and Associated Unsuccessful Motion to Reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. And item four is the Commonwealth Edison ComEd Annual Summer Preparedness Hearing. No votes were taken. Mr. President, this concludes my report. Thank you, Madam Chair. For the Committee on Housing and Real Estate, the Chair recognizes Chairman Sigcho Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President and members of the City Council, reporting for your Committee on Housing and Real Estate, which held a meeting on June 11, 2025.

3:26:59 The Committee has a series of reports recommending passage of one appointment and 12 ordinances. The ordinances include lease agreements, redevelopment agreements, and various negotiated property and land sales. Item number one is an appointment 2025-0017534, appointment of Kenneth Burnett as member of the Chicago Low Income Housing Trust Fund Board. I move passes of this item by the first most favorable roll call vote on the Committee on Finance and Associated and Successful Motion to Reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered.

3:27:31 The next two items are I'll demanding introductions for the designation of low affordability communities. First, the Ordinance 2025.0017439 in the 27th Ward, I have moved passage of this item by the same motion. Hearing no objection, so ordered. Next is a Substitute Ordinance 2025.0016649 in the 48th Ward, which passed as a Substitute and I have moved passage of this item by the same motion. Hearing no objection, so ordered. The next two items, Ordinance 2025.0017522 and 0017505,

3:28:06 are grouped together from the Department of Fleet and Facility Management for amendments to lease agreements in the 25th and 10th wards and move passes of these items by the same motion. So ordered. The next three items are from the Department of Housing. Item 6 is a land sale and redevelopment agreement. Item 7 is a land sale with an amendment of redevelopment agreement. And item 8 is the sale of city-owned property in the 10th, 5th, and 27th wards, respectively. The ordinance numbers are Ordinance 2025-0017574-0017569 and 0017592.

3:28:44 I move passes of these items by the same motion. So ordered. The following items are from the Department of Planning and Development. Item 9 is an Ordinance 2025-0017596 and Item 10 is Ordinance 2025-0017597. are for the sale of vacant city-owned property under the Chai Block Builder Platform's Missing Middle In-Field Housing Initiative. These are the first cluster of lots being sold through this program founded through the Housing and Economic Development Bond,

3:29:17 which will bring more than 40 new units to the 24th Ward and move passage of these two items by the same motion. Congratulations. So ordered. And congratulations to the 24th Ward. The last three items from DPD are item 11, Ordinance 2025-0017582, item 12 is Ordinance 2025-0017595, and item 13 is an Ordinance 2025-0017878.

3:29:47 for the sale of city-owned vacant land to various buyers in the 3rd, 24th, and 21st wards and move passes of these items by the same motion. Hearing no objections, so order. Mr. President, this concludes my report. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the Committee on License. as well as consumer protection. The Chair recognizes Chairwoman Silverstein. Thank you, Mr. President and members of City Council. I am reporting for the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. We held a meeting on June 11, 2025, and the following items were passed by the Committee.

3:30:25 02025-0017191, a substitute ordinance to amend Chapter 9 regarding impoundment of pedicabs. Mr. President, I move that the City Council concur in the recommendations of the License Committee by the same roll call as item number one of the Committee on Finance Report and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. So ordered. 02024-0009665, a substitute ordinance regarding public places of amusement and sidewalk cafes.

3:30:58 With the exception of Alderman Moore, I move passage of this item by the same motion if there is no objection. Does she want to be recognized? The chair recognizes Alderman Moore. Thank you so much, Mr. President. I want to thank my colleague, Alderman and Chairman Matt Martin, for reaching out to me on this and trying to, I think he was ultimately trying to do the right thing. And it's an ordinance I do support, especially as it relates to the cafes. Just to be on public record, I had an issue with these gaming machines and them able to get additional machines in their stores.

3:31:37 Right now, as we know with these coupons, so-called coupon machines, that it's supposed to be coupons, but we know in many of these communities, people are betting and getting real money. It's gambling going on there. And so that's revenue, one, that we're not getting. Number two, at some point, gambling for slot machines is going to come online. And my fear is that African Americans are not going to be able,

3:32:07 and other minorities are not going to have an opportunity to be in this space if many of these other stores are leaps ahead of bounds of them and having machines in these spots. And so I'm thinking about the future, not just right now. And so that is why I'm voting no on this item. Thank you. Very well. The motion has been made despite the division. This item is passed. So ordered. Chair recognizes Chairwoman Silverstein. O2025-0017550, an ordinance prohibiting peddling in portions of the first ward.

3:32:40 I move passage of this item by the same motion if there is no objection. 02025-0017-556, an ordinance prohibiting sale of cannabinoid hemp products within the O'Hare residential area. I move passage of this item by the same motion if there is no objection. Hearing none, so ordered. Four ordinances regarding liquor moratoriums in the 13th, 20th, 25th, and 30th wards. The committee has recommended passage of each of these items, 02025-0017186, and others ending 0017404, 0017557, and 0016976.

3:33:24 I move passage of these items by the same motion if there's no objection. Hearing none, so ordered. 02024-0008954 and 02025-0017143 were held in committee. A subject matter hearing on congestion fee overcharging by rideshare companies was held. No vote was taken. Mr. President, this concludes my report. Thank you, Madam Chair. For the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, the Chair recognizes Chair Laspata.

3:33:57 Thank you, Mr. President. Reporting for your Committee on the Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, for which a meeting was held on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Before the Committee, there were 217 routine traffic items, all of which passed. If there are no objections, I move passage of these items by the first, most favorable roll call vote from the Committee on Finance and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider the vote. Hearing no objections, so ordered. The committee also passed a substitute ordinance sponsored by myself, S.O. 2025-0017552, Amendment of Municipal Code Title IX, by modifying traffic code definitions, clarifying the start and end points of bus stop zones, and clarifying the elements of offenses related to parking and standing in bus and bike lanes.

3:34:47 If there are no objections, I move passage of this item by the same motion. Hearing none, so order. That concludes my report. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs, and Recreation. Chair recognizes Chair Sposato. Thank you, Mr. President. Before I give my report, I'd like to temporarily suspend the rules for a point of personal privilege. And I had two points, but one of those points you recognize Craig already, an awesome individual. I was in my office in a meeting, but we also forgot one other person, and that's Officer Johnny Binion.

3:35:21 I don't know if everybody knows, but Officer Johnny Binion. This is a motion to suspend the rules. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Any opposed, say nay. The motions are suspended. The chair recognizes Alderman Sposato. Sorry, Mr. President. Everybody, I apologize. But I just want to make sure everybody knows about Officer Johnny Binion. Johnny's been here for over 10 years. Johnny was an awesome individual, always looked out for all of us, not just me. So I just want to make sure everybody knows, if you want, reach out to Johnny and wish him happy retirement. With that, that's it for my suspending of the rules, Mr. President.

3:35:52 Farewell. And a motion to go back to the regular order of business, signified by all those in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. Anybody opposed, say no. All right, we are back into regular order of business. The chair recognizes Chairman Sposato. Once again, thank you, Mr. President, members of the City Council, reporting for your Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs, and Recreation, also known as the HAPPY Committee, meeting was held on June 11, 2025. The committee recommends passes of the following appointments to the Special Events and Cultural Affairs Advisory Council. What?

3:36:26 A2025-0017535, Billy Acasio. A2025-0017536, Jan Feldman, A2025-0017537, Kimberly Bares, A2025-0017538, Caroline Eng, and A2025-0017539, Jorge Perez.

3:36:57 I move passes of these items by the first favorable roll call, vote of the Committee on Finance, and the Associated Unsuccessful Motion to Reconsider. So ordered. Thank you, Mr. President. That concludes my report. Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the Committee on Transportation and Public Way, the Chair recognizes Chairman Mitchell. Mr. President and members of City Council, reporting for your Committee on Transportation and Public Way, which held a meeting on June 11, 2025, the following items passed by the majority of the members present. Page 2 includes item, Ordinance 2025-0017545.

3:37:32 The Committee on Transportation and Public Way recommends this item to be re-referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Page 2 includes items, Substitute Ordinance 2025-0017568, an amendment of Municipal Code, Section 11-4-1600. Page 2 includes items Substitute Ordinance 2025, 0017559, and Amendment of Municipal Code Sections 9-76-160, 9-92-030, and 9-100-020.

3:38:11 Pages 3 through 5 includes 20 ordinances from miscellaneous items introduced by the local alderman from Wards 3, 4, 6, 9, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 40, and 45. Page 6 includes item Ordinance 2025-0017553, a resubdivision ordinance for a property located in the 11th Ward. If there is no objection, I move passage of these items by the first most favorable roll call vote of the Committee on Finance and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider.

3:38:49 Hearing none, so order. Mr. President, this concludes my report. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee on Workforce Development, the Chair recognizes Chairman Rodriguez. Thank you, Mr. President. Members of Council, reporting for the Committee on Workforce Development, which held a meeting on Thursday, June 12th, there were two items on the agenda. The first item was an ordinance authorizing the execution of a collective bargaining agreement between the Teamsters Local 700 Union and the City of Chicago. The item passed by unanimous vote of all members present. I move that the first most favorable vote on the Committee on Finance and the unsuccessful motion to reconsider be applied to this item.

3:39:24 Farewell. Hearing no objections, so order. The second item on the agenda was a subject matter hearing on the Chicago Rideshare and Living Wage Ordinance. I want to thank all of you who came to our committee to learn about the working conditions in the rideshare industry and share with you some good news. On Monday, we marked a breakthrough, not just for the 80,000 rideshare drivers in Chicago, but for the more than 100,000 drivers across Illinois who have been demanding something simple and long overdue, a voice.

3:39:57 on the job. For far too long, these workers have been treated as disposable, but they didn't stay silent. They organized, they rallied, and they built power together, and they refused to back down. Here in Chicago, I've been proud to stand with the Chicago Gig Alliance regarding the Fair Share Ordinance. That ordinance was never just about policy. It was about building power. It was about shining a light on the struggles of drivers and demanding the biggest corporations in the world be held accountable for how they treat people and how they treat the people who keep our city moving.

3:40:31 And while the ordinance may not be moving forward in city council right now, let me be clear, the work mattered. That organizing force changed. It helped bring the largest rideshare company to the table, and it laid the groundwork for what we announced Monday, a statewide push for union rights, backed by a commitment from Uber not to stand in the way. That is what real progress looks like. It starts when workers stand up. It grows when communities and elected officials stand with them. To every driver who's been a part of this movement, thank you. Your courage and persistence brought us to this moment. And I promise you that we will continue to stand with you in Chicago, in Springfield, and everywhere else this fight takes us. This concludes the report on the Committee on Workforce Development, Your Honor.

3:41:17 Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards, the Chair recognizes Vice Chair Lawson. Thank you, Mr. President and members of the City Council, presenting a series of reports for your Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards, which held the meeting on June 17, 2025. The following items were passed by a majority of members' presence and are grouped for convenience. Page 1 contains document number O-2025-0017338, the historical landmark designation for Morningstar Baptist Church of Chicago, located in the 3rd Ward.

3:41:51 I move passage of this item by the last most favorable roll call vote of the Finance Committee report and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. So ordered. Page one also contains document number O-2024-0010378, the historical landmark designation for St. Adalbert Parish, located in the 25th Ward. I will passage of this item by the same motion if there is no objection. Hearing it, the chair recognizes Alderman Lopez. I wish to be recorded as voting no on this item.

3:42:22 Very well. Despite the division, this motion passes. So order. Page 1 also contains document number 0-2025-0017334, the historical landmark designation for Harris Trust and Savings Bank, located at 111 West Monroe Street in the 34th Ward. I move passage of this item by the same motion if there is no objection. Hearing none, so ordered. Page 1 also contains two fee waivers for landmark properties in the 1st and 24th Wards.

3:42:52 I move passage of these items by the same motion if there is no objection. Hearing none, so ordered. All right, moving on. Pages 1 through 11 contain various map amendments in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 11th, 19th, 21st, 24th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 31st, 32nd, 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th, 46th, 49th, and 50th wards. Before I make a motion, I understand Alderman Conway wants to say a few words.

3:43:23 Very well. Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. The chair recognizes Alderman Conway. Thank you. First of all, I want to be added to the favorable roll call vote on item number one in the Finance Committee, first off. Some acknowledgment that that's okay. Yes, Madam Clerk, please add Alderman Conway to the most favorable roll call in the Finance Committee and the associated motion to reconsider failure. Thank you. The chair recognizes again Alderman Conway. But really what I wanted to say is that I am particularly proud of the new dispensary

3:43:55 that is going in not too far from here at the corner of Clark and Madison. Last year, you all may recall that I put forward an ordinance that essentially allowed dispensaries in the central business district without distance regulations and that are irrelevant downtown or going through the ZBA. And as a result of that, we are here today to bring about a dispensary that is going to fill a long, vacant storefront

3:44:27 and create 25 jobs downtown, as well as additional security jobs. So I wanted to thank you all for helping us cut some red tape, and thank you all for your help in creating some more good jobs downtown across all of you. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Thank you, Alderman Conway. The chair recognizes Vice Chair Lawson. Thank you. So I move passage of the previously listed items by the same motion if there is no objection. I'm sorry, apologies. Please repeat your motion.

3:44:59 I move passage of the previously stated items by the same motion if there is no objection. Hearing no objection, so order. Lastly, page 12 contains various large signs over 100 square feet in area, 24 feet above grade, in wards 14, 27, 32, 34, 36, 41, 42, and 50. I move passage of these items by the same motion if there is no objection. Hearing none, so order. Thank you, Mr. President. That includes my report. Thank you, Vice Chair. For the agreed-upon calendar, Chair recognizes Alderwoman Harris.

3:45:35 Thank you, Mr. President. I've received from Clerk M. Valencia a total of 147 items proposed to the agreed calendar, consisting of congratulatory, commemorative, tribulatory resolutions. Alderwoman, do you mind raising your mic just a little bit? Okay, there you go. You can, there it is. From the following alder persons, would you like me to start from the beginning? Would you like me to start from the beginning?

3:46:07 No, you don't. Okay, good. Say that last for a minute. Alderman Hopkins, Alderperson Dow, Alderperson Hall, Alderperson Harris, Alderperson Chico, Alderperson Quinn, Alderperson Lopez, Alderperson Coleman, Alderperson O'Shea, Alderperson Rodriguez, Alderperson Cichol Lopez, Alderperson Fuentes, Alderperson Irving, Alderperson Conway, Alderperson All the person Sposato, all the person Riley, all the person Knudsen, all the person Lawson, and all the person Gardner. I move these in the omnibus.

3:46:38 Hearing no objections, so ordered. For a new business, thank you, Mr. Clerk. We'll call the wards beginning with the first. Zoning amendments which are referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Traffic regulations, traffic control signals, and traffic signs which are referred to the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. An exemption from physical barrier requirements for commercial driveway alley access for parking facilities, which are referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way.

3:47:14 Alderman Hall has a proposed ordinance for an honorary street designation as Ryan Harris Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Mitchell and others have a proposed ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Title 17 by modifying Section 17-3-0207 to strike permit requirements for gas stations and by modifying Section 17-9-0109, restricting the expansion of gas stations in certain circumstances, which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards.

3:47:45 Alderperson Lee has proposed orders for the issuance of permits for signed signboards at 2424 South Halston Street, which are referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alderperson Ramirez has a proposed ordinance for an honorary street designation as Angie F. Berkowitz Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. All the person, Ramirez, also has a proposed ordinance for an honorary street designation as Roberto Carlos Valesco, Jr. Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way.

3:48:16 All the person, Lopez, has a proposed ordinance for Amendment of MISPA Code, Section 4-60-022, to allow additional alcoholic liquor licenses on a portion of West 47th Street, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. All the person, Lopez, also has a proposed ordinance for an honorary street designation as Jamal Jimmy Aishway, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alder Persons Curtis Moore and Tabaris have opposed the ordinance for an honorary street designation

3:48:50 as Mamie Till Mobley Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alder Persons Mosley and others have opposed the resolution to call for hearings on enforcing prohibition of solicitation on the public way, which is referred to the Committee on Public Safety. Alderperson Rodriguez has proposed resolution for expression of support for Paul Simon Job Corps Center and for continued federal funding for the Job Corps program, which is referred to the Committee on Workforce Development. Alderperson Burnett has proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code section 4-60-022

3:49:22 to allow additional alcoholic liquor licenses on a portion of North Ogden Avenue, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alder Person Burnett also has a proposed ordinance for a support of Class 7C tax incentive for the property at 404 North Armor Street, which is referred to the Committee on Economic Capital and Technology Development. Alder Person Burnett also has a proposed order for the use of a permit for signed signboard at 1132 West Blackhawk Street, which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alder Persons Irvin and Telefiero have a proposed resolution to call for hearings on

3:49:55 Call for hearings to examine felony review bypass program expansion, oversight structure, legal outcomes, and implications for public safety, which is referred to the Committee on Police and Fire. All the person in Telefiero has a proposed order for the issues of permits for signed signboards at 1625 North Harlem Avenue, which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alderperson Telefiero has a proposed resolution to call for the Regional Transportation Authority to create a pilot program to provide safe transportation to minors with pickup and drop-off services

3:50:27 at public events within the 29th Ward, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Cruz has a proposed ordinance for an honorary street designation as Honorary Roy Diaz Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Cardona has proposed ordinance for Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 8-4 by adding a new Section 8-4-124 prohibiting unauthorized video recordings of dwelling units, residential properties, and yards. This is referred to the Committee on Public Safety.

3:50:58 Alderperson Conway has proposed ordinance for Amendment of Municipal Code Section 4-60-023 to allow additional package goods licenses on portions of West Madison Street, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alderperson Conway also has a proposed resolution to call on the Chicago Transit Authority Board to increase enforcement of non-smoking ordinance and to install a new CTA precedent with public transit experience, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Conway also has a proposed ordinance for Amendment of Municipal Code,

3:51:28 Chapters 17-4 and 17-8, authorizing the zoning administrator to approve exemption from minimum lot area for Chicago Landmark Buildings, which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alderman-Person Villegas has proposed ordinance for amendment of Ordinance 02024-0013056 to waive outstanding and fiber optic network fees for permits filed by the Chicago Board of Education, which is referred to the Committee on Finance. Alderman-Person Villegas also has proposed a resolution to call for hearings

3:52:01 on the process for awarding vendor contracts for the Chicago Riverwalk, which is referred to the Committee on Contracting Oversight. Villegas also has a proposed resolution for establishment of the Chicago Charter Committee, which is referred to the Committee on Committees and Rules. Alderperson Villegas also has a proposed ordinance for Amendment of Municipal Code Title II by modifying various sections governing city asset leases and sales, which is referred to the Committee on Finance. Alderperson Villegas and Cardona have a proposed ordinance for Amendment of Municipal Code Section 17-7-0591

3:52:34 to expand predominance of Block 606 District, which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alderperson Villegas and Alderperson Moore have proposed ordinance for Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 2-92 by modifying various sections regarding duties of Chief Procurement Officer related to city contracts, which is referred to the Committee on Contracting Oversight. Alderperson Villegas has proposed a resolution to call for hearings to examine uses and projected short- and long-term impacts of the $830 million general obligation bonds,

3:53:07 which is referred to the Committee on Economic, Capital, and Technology Development. Alderperson Villegas also has proposed ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Section 3-56-040, allowing qualified veterans to renew valid and current real tax licenses through the City Clerk's online platform, which is referred to the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations. Alderperson Mitts has a proposed ordinance for Amendment of Municipal Code Section 4-60-023 to disallow additional package goods licenses on portions of West North Avenue, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection.

3:53:38 Alderperson Mitts and others have a proposed ordinance for Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 4-4 by adding a new section, 4-4-075, requiring installation of surveillance cameras at licensed premises open to general public, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alderperson Sposato has proposed ordinance for an honorary street designation as Honorary Jerry Superman Casper Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Vasquez and others have proposed order for the Chicago Police Department, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, and the Mayor's Office

3:54:10 to provide City Council all reporting data and communications related to any police presence at Intensive Supervisor Appearance Program BI, Incorporated Building, on June 4, 2025, which is referred to the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Alderperson Vasquez and Alderperson Martin have proposed a resolution to call for hearings by the Chicago Commission on Human Relations on patterns of anti-Jewish hate crimes, hate instances, and hate-based tensions which is referred to the Committee on Health and Human Relations. Alderperson Vasquez has proposed orders for an amendment of Municipal Code

3:54:42 Section 4-60-022 to allow additional alcoholic liquor licenses on a portion of North Lincoln Avenue which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alderperson Vasquez also has proposed orders for amendment of MISPA code section 2-96-040 requiring an executive director of public safety administration to submit monthly reports of Freedom of Information Act requests and responses to the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights chair, which is referred to the Committee on Public Safety. Alderperson Vasquez also has proposed resolution to call on all city departments and officers that respond to freedom of information

3:55:18 requests to discuss internal training, response policies, and public maintenance of FOIA records, which is referred to the Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight. All the person in Napolitano has proposed ordinance for the issuance of permits for signed signboards at 8700 West Branmar Avenue, which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. All the person in Napolitano also has proposed ordinance for a donation of Police Department Explosive Magazines to the City of Waukegan Fire Department Bomb Squad, which is referred to the Committee on Public safety. Alderperson Riley has proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code section 4-60-023

3:55:52 to allow additional package goods licenses on portions of West Chicago Avenue and North Clark Street, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alderperson Riley also has proposed orders for the issuance of permits for signed signboards at 539 North Dearborn Street, which are referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alderperson Knutson has proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code Section 4-60-022 to allow additional alcoholic liquor licenses on a portion of West Diversity Avenue and North Lincoln Avenue, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection.

3:56:24 Alderperson Lawson has proposed the ordinance for an honorary street designation as Herbert Nutzon Clark Kenny Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Clay has proposed the ordinance for an honorary street designation as Ronald Kaiser Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Martin has proposed the ordinance for an amendment of the annual appropriation ordinance to transfer funds from the 47th Ward automatic expense account to the wage allowance account, which is referred to the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations. Alderperson Martin also has proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code section 7-28-715 prohibiting restrictions

3:56:58 on residential composting, which is referred to the Committee on Environment. Alderperson Silverstein and others have proposed a resolution to call for hearings by the Chicago Commission on Human Relations on pattern of anti-Jewish hate crimes, hate instances, and hate-based tensions, which is referred to the Committee on Public Safety. Alder, Person, Lopez, and Fuentes have a proposed order that the Commission of Planning and Development immediately release all promised tax-increment financing dollars to the Back of the Yards Council Precious Blood Ministries,

3:57:34 which is referred to the Committee on Finance. Alder, Person, Lopez, and others have a proposed ordinance to initiate and authorize the following referendum question to be submitted to the voters of the City of Chicago at the regularly scheduled primary election of March 17, 2026. Quote, shall the people of Chicago establish a 100-day non-salary office of Chicago reform commission made up of 25 delegate elected by city voters and reform and improve government

3:58:10 by drafting a city charter proposal that shall be submitted to the city voters for their referendum approval at the next election. It was referred to the Committee on Committees and Rules. Two committees called the Committee on Committees and Rules, and the Committee on Finance of the Matters referred to the Committee on Committees and Rules. Your Honor, that concludes the presentation of all the medic introductions.

3:58:47 Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Apologies. There was a joint committee that we neglected to report out. So with that, for the Joint Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy, Health and Human Relations, the Chair recognizes Chairwoman Haddon. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President and members of the City Council, reporting for your Joint Committee on Environmental Protection in Energy and Health and Human Relations, which held a committee meeting on April 23, 2025.

3:59:17 The committee has one report and recommends the passage of the following item. Item one is Resolution 2023-0002936, which is a call for hearing on the impact and reduction of single-use plastics. I move passage of this item by the first favorable roll call vote of the Committee on Finance and Associated Unsuccessful Motion to Reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Mr. President, this concludes my report. Thank you, Madam Chair. For rules stated in Rule 59, Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor wishes to participate in the

3:59:51 Final portion of this meeting remotely. Could the clerk confirm Alderwoman Taylor's presence online? Alderwoman Taylor. I'm here, Madam Clerk. All right, Taylor is present. Can I get a motion to approve the remote participation for Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor? It's been moved. All those in favor signify by saying aye. And opposed to saying no. In opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. For the approval of the journal, the Chair recognizes Alderman Mitchell.

4:00:26 Mr. President, I am not aware of any corrections to this journal from the May 21, 2025 meeting and move that it be approved. Hearing no objection, so order. For unfinished business, Alderman Mitchell. Mr. President, I am aware of one piece of unfinished business. It was filed by Alderman Irving, and I defer to him. Thank you, Alderman Mitchell. The Chair recognizes Alderman Irving. Thank you, Mr. President. The item we all are aware of, I will ask, once the debate concludes,

4:00:58 we ask for a roll call vote. I'm going to defer at this point to Alderman Hopkins, right? Hopkins, your name, right? Very well. Okay, I'm sorry. Alderman Hopkins, I reserve the right to close. Very well. Alderman Irvin has reserved the right to close. With that, the chair recognizes Alderman Hopkins. Yeah, thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Alderman Irvin, and thank you, Alderman Dowell. As my two co-lead sponsors on this measure, I just want to say that I've really enjoyed working with the two of you. I think the three of us really did an outstanding job collaborating on a very difficult issue.

4:01:33 There was a lot of effort that went involved in this to get us to this point where we're actually going to have a vote on this matter. And I really enjoyed the good faith that went into this, even during the times that we disagreed. And we did. We disagreed among the three of us. We disagreed quite a bit. But from that process, I believe emerged a very sound policy that I hope will pass on a roll call vote here today, despite the fact that at the end of it, we weren't able to get to unanimous consent.

4:02:05 And that's the nature of the legislative process, ladies and gentlemen. It's rare that you take something difficult and controversial and respond to every objection successfully, bring everyone to the same table at the same time in the same way and get to unanimous consent. It simply is a very high bar to clear, and frankly, we didn't clear at this time. And Alderman Irvin, I'm offering my genuine appreciation to you right now, despite the fact that I'm somewhat aware you're going to vote differently than Alderman Dahl and I at the end of this process.

4:02:38 Nevertheless, what I want to do right now is not focus on our differences. I want to focus on the agreement that I know exists among this body. I'm confident that some of what I'm about to say has the full support of all 50 of us. We are all 100% on the same page when I say that we've seen the videos of the events that inspired this ordinance. And no one here is okay with that. No one here thinks it's perfectly acceptable for large groups of teenagers, some as young as 12, to gather anywhere in the city, downtown or anywhere, and get out of control, and to take guns out of their backpacks, and to engage in violent behavior, and mayhem, and chaos.

4:03:29 No one is okay with that. I think we're all on the same page there. And I think we're actually all on the same page with the two main goals of this ordinance. The first goal of this ordinance, the primary goal, is to prevent those events from happening. Do we all agree that we should be seeking to prevent those events from happening? I think we do. And this ordinance would actually lean in to tactics and techniques and tools that are already being used.

4:04:04 by our Deputy Mayor of Public Safety in collaboration with the Police Department. I would argue, ladies and gentlemen, in the last two months since this ordinance came to light, I am aware of two potential teen trends that didn't happen. They didn't happen because of intervention measures taken by the Deputy Mayor of Public Safety and his outstanding leadership team of street interventionists and the Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Public Schools, who went so far as to communicate with CPS parents

4:04:36 and said, don't let your kids go to this event. It's not safe for them. And because of all those efforts, at least two potentially dangerous and violent teen trends that were going to happen didn't happen. This curfew ordinance is simply one more tool in that particular toolbox. It will work because the techniques that are currently being employed actually do work, and we have recent evidence of that. The secondary goal of this ordinance, and again, I think we all agree, when those moments happen, when all attempts at intervention and prevention do not work for whatever reason,

4:05:13 and you have 200-plus teenagers taking over an area, kicking buses, blocking traffic, running into the stores, throwing things around, lighting fireworks, and, God forbid, shooting guns, which happened twice so far this year in my ward, when it gets out of control, we must stop it. We can't sit back and watch it happen. We can't just go, we'll let it run out of its energy on its own volition. We have to stop it.

4:05:43 We must take steps to stop it, and that's the second part of this ordinance. It allows for the Chicago police to take steps to interdict these events when they're taking place and to bring them to an end as soon as possible. And again, it works. Some people want to say curfews don't work. I can tell you, ladies and gentlemen, they work, and I know that because I've seen them work. We currently have a curfew. It kicks in at 10 o'clock. I've been out there in these events. I've been on the street during these teen trends when they turned violent,

4:06:14 and I was out there with the deputy mayor at the last one. And it wasn't until 10 o'clock when the police had the ability to enforce the curfew ordinance that the event finally was brought to a conclusion, because the teens know when they hear the police say, we're going to start enforcing the curfew, they know they mean it, and they'll do it. They don't treat the threat of arrest the same way, because we all know. the police do not want to arrest teenagers. I don't blame them. They don't want to do it. They would much rather not have to be put in that position to do it.

4:06:48 The curfew ordinance, on the other hand, is a much easier thing to enforce on the street in those chaotic conditions. And the teenagers know when they hear that announcement from the PA speaker inside the patrol car, we're going to start enforcing the curfew, the crowd disperses. It works. It works. I've seen it work. One more thing that I'd like to point out that I think we all could agree with. Your comments, Mayor. Your comments quoted in today's edition of the Daily Line, and I just want to read it.

4:07:19 The police department already has a provision to call for a dispersal order. If someone is committing a violent crime, you can be arrested at 4 p.m. or at 3 p.m. They don't have to wait for 10 o'clock to arrest people if they're doing something that's in violation of the law. Mayor, you said that. You're right. I agree with it. I think we all do. This curfew ordinance is a better alternative to arresting teenagers. The police can arrest them. Let's give them something better where they don't have to.

4:07:52 They'll simply take them out of this volatile, dangerous situation, remove them from it, end the chaos and mayhem, and let the teenagers be safely returned to their families when a parent or guardian comes and gets them. That is much better than having to arrest them for doing the things that are, in fact, criminal acts. You see the video. These are criminal acts. These are not innocent hijinks. These are dangerous, threatening, criminal acts, and they're violent.

4:08:24 And it happened again last night. It happened in my ward, Alderman Knudsen's ward, Alderman Lawson's ward. Last night, starting about 10 o'clock, we had a teen gathering on the lakefront that turned violent. A police officer wound up in the hospital because he was attacked. Last night, if we don't pass this curfew ordinance, it's going to happen again. And I know you don't want that. I don't want that. Again, the goal is to prevent it from happening. This ordinance will do that. and the goal is to stop it from happening once prevention efforts have failed,

4:08:58 before someone gets hurt or, God forbid, killed. For those of you that have committed to supporting this ordinance, and I've talked to all of you, thank you for your support. Please stay with us. If everyone who's told me they're going to support this does in fact vote yes, this ordinance will pass today, not because I've said so, not because the superintendent has said so, but because it's the right thing to do. I urge an aye vote. Thank you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman David Moore. Thank you, Mr. President. While I stand in support of this ordinance, mainly for the reasons I believe in, first and foremost, saving lives.

4:09:36 and in too many incidents, one. person and sometimes two innocent victims and our young people lose their lives. I would rather save a life and deal with something, you know, and making sure that they are put somewhere safe where their parents will come and get them, whether or not someone lose a life. And so my main purpose is for saving lives. But I also want to state this. I had young students from Urban Prep to come down here these past few months to listen in.

4:10:12 And I just want to make sure their voices are heard. They actually did a petition. I don't know if I want to do it with police officers, but they circulated a petition for additional police officers to address truancy and curfew issues. I don't know if we want police officers to address truancy, but the curfew issues, yes. So they circulated those petitions, and we'll talk about that further. But there's something that they also put together. They said that they want a youth-focused outreach and early notification system.

4:10:47 And I hope and I think this is what this does in some conversations that I've been in. We propose the development, and this is from the youth voices, we propose the development of a citywide digital alert system that sends out curfew reminders and community updates through SMS, social media, and school communication apps. These alerts should be youth-friendly and informative, helping teams make responsible choices and avoid last-minute conflict with law enforcement.

4:11:17 Number two, they wanted to expand after school and evening programming. Rather than pushing teens out of public spaces, we recommend expanding access to evening programming at park districts, libraries, and community centers. Well, I know places like Arden Park and Marquette Park, we're open for that, and we have to make sure that our children know about this. These safe and supervised activities, including sports leagues, music programs, job readiness, workshops, and creative art spaces will reduce loitering and offer positive alternatives.

4:11:52 This one is important for me. And again, we're talking about boards. Their voice. Establish team safe zones in each ward. And so we can talk to legal and Park District and others about that because I think we say in our minds that these are safe spaces, But there's got to be some type of marketing program or something to let teens know that these are safe spaces. They said each ward should designate at least one accessible, well-publicized teen safe zone where youth can gather before curfew hours without fear for harassment.

4:12:26 These safe zones could be hosted at schools, churches, or community centers and staffed by trained youth advocates or local volunteers. I will just read two more for the sake of time that they have totally highlighted. We urge the city to require all officers assigned to cultural enforcement to complete training in conflict, mediation, adolescent, psychology, and trauma-informed engagement. This will reduce the risk of over-policing and build a foundation of mutual respect and

4:13:00 safety. They talked about creating a citywide youth advisory council. They didn't know it was one already, so I told them about that and connected them to that. And they said hire more officers with specialized youth engagement training. Their voice, we recommend the city of Chicago hire additional police officers to specifically train to handle youth-related concerns. These officers should receive ongoing education and youth de-escalation, community policing

4:13:30 strategies, and cultural competency. Increased staffing would allow for a more visible presence in neighborhoods during the hours leading up to curfew, helping to prevent large gatherings before they occur, and creating positive relationships with the community. Their conclusion, we believe these recommendations present a balanced community-focused approach to youth safety that respects the voices of young people while addressing public concerns. By investing in trained personnel, youth programming, and inclusive policy, the City of Chicago

4:14:01 can lead with accountability, prevention, and care. We urge the City Council to consider these alternatives as they prepare to pass this legislation. So I just wanted to make sure that these voices were heard. They talk about, which I didn't know, in Baltimore and L.A., there are co-few centers that provide to save space. Instead of arrest, and I think that's what we're talking about as well, not just arresting, but we've got to make sure these centers or I don't know if it's at the station provide these safe spaces.

4:14:33 So we encourage our youth to be involved, and I'm going to continue to make sure they are involved, that the things that they wrote down here, that we are following up on those things. So as we pass this ordinance, the many people that I think it's a tool that's needed. But when we start passing these other items that our residents are talking about, I want the same energy and I want the voices to help support these items that these young people are talking about. Thank you so much, Mr. President. Thank you. Chair recognizes Alderman O'Shea.

4:15:07 Thank you, Mr. President. This issue has been talked about for several months. I appreciate the work that some of my colleagues have put into it. In a few months, we're going to have Superintendent Snelling sitting here, probably for the better part of a day. And nearly every one of us is going to question him and his leadership. This piece of legislation is a tool that the superintendent

4:15:40 and the Chicago Police Department can have in their toolbox to try to make situations safer. If you're going to vote for this, then vote in support of it. If you're going to vote against it, then vote against it. But in closing, Mayor, I am sick and tired of people talking about public safety in this room, and then when it comes time for a difficult vote, sneaking out the back door. Own your vote today and sit in your chair and cast it, or sit on that screen.

4:16:14 But no more walking out of the room and dodging the issue. This is a real public safety problem in several of our neighborhoods. I had one of these situations in my neighborhood two weeks ago. And every single weekend, I'm losing tactical officers detailed to these horrible situations that are absolutely out of control. Those are police officers that aren't serving in my neighborhood, making my neighborhood safer. We need to stop talking about partnering with the police and supporting the police,

4:16:47 and we actually have to do it. Give them this tool that if it's decided from Superintendent Snelling that he needs this at a given time, at a given hour, that he has this. Thank you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Auditwoman Scott. Good afternoon, everyone. I want to throw out a few words. decency, respect, manners, law abiding citizens. I don't speak much. I have a 17 year old

4:17:22 daughter that I have restricted do not go downtown. She's not going downtown because it's safe. She can't go because it's unsafe. I refuse to put, I am a, I have to use one of your quotes, Mayor. I am a black woman raising a black child in the city of Chicago. And I refuse to allow my 17-year-old daughter, who is being reared by a single mom, myself,

4:17:52 that has a full ride to Stanford, go downtown because I want her to come home to me safely and alive so she can't go downtown and why because the streets are not safe for her and we're arguing because these are not the regular kids like my daughter who can go downtown and and mayor like your son who can go downtown your daughter and your sons these are people these are children that are wreaking havoc these are children that are shooting tourists these are

4:18:27 kids that are stomping on cars and twerking on cars and these are the ones that we're protecting yeah they mom need to protect them too because see we forget the big picture we put everything on the politician but forget that they have a mom i'm a single mom and disadvantaged or unprivileged or black does not mean that you give a license to roam and wreak havoc it does not give you a license to do that. Being a black child, working in the Chicago Park District, being

4:19:02 a park kid, there are things to do. But when there's structure, the havoc wreakers don't want structure. They want to roam. And so if we allowed our police officers a tool to To give them the opportunity to enforce a curfew. Before they see it starting, that's a tool in their toolbox, and they should be able to use it. We're not saying go get your billy clubs and beat the kids upside the head or arrest them.

4:19:32 No, we're giving them a tool so that, you know, because they say you can't corral crowds. But this is a tool before the crowd starts that we can shut it down. It happens in my neighborhood, so I'm glad that we can do this because they call them the 290 Express parties, right, that happen on the west side too. These same things happen on the west side. So it's important that we create this kind of environment for the entire city of Chicago. So would it be different had a black man been the sponsor of this? So had it been Alderman Irvin who was the sponsor of this,

4:20:05 would it make a difference? But because a white man is speaking out on our black kids and for the safety of us, it's an issue? See, I'm not looking at black and white because we all want to go downtown. We all want to afford the opportunity to go downtown. But it shouldn't be restrictive because our kids are not feeling safe. I don't, if I have to send my kids to Oak Brook to have a good time to go shop and eat, then that's what I'll do until the cities are safe. I don't want her in an area where there's no control and the kids are doing what they want to do and they're running up and down

4:20:38 the street. We see the videos. Everybody sees them. So we're going to ignore and take a blind eye for the sake of I don't know what it is because the same people who are against it were the same ones against ShotSpotter, which there's no more control now of if a gunshot is coming because we don't know. We don't know. So safety looks like it's doing great because we don't know. But we see those videos. And, again, I have a 17-year-old, a full ride to Stanford.

4:21:11 I refuse to send her downtown. And this is the city that we live in. And this is the environment that we are creating because we like to safeguard BS and crime and all of that. You've got to be real with yourselves. Will you send your kid downtown? Curfew is not until 10. Will you send your kids downtown? Will you let them roam? And we have a beautiful city.

4:21:41 Will you send your kids downtown? This is my final say. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Curtis. Thank you, Mr. President. You know, there was a poll that went out to the entire city of Chicago, and it asked about what was your priorities. The entire city said that public safety was their number one priority.

4:22:11 And those came from all of our constituents. I'm going to knock on wood, I've been blessed to be in a community where I have basically a low violent crime rate. When Audemars Hopkins came to talk to me, I was the first one to jump on board with him. In the last two years, I've had three.

4:22:41 Teen takeovers, the last being May 31st of this year. When I talked with the superintendent, he told me they were on their way because the day before, the day before, seven people at a teen takeover was shot on the 30th, seven people were shot at 78th and Light Loomis.

4:23:14 I don't mind if kids coming together at all. Audubon Moore talked about a safe space, but that sounds like in the daytime. What are they doing? What are they supposed to be at at 10 o'clock at night? You have to really see this. Not only did it happen in my ward, it happened on my block because I'm right across the street from the school. When it gets to the point of being disrespectful, jumping on top of cars and the shooting start,

4:23:48 I had five gunshots, two went in my neighbor's window, one in one of my other neighbor's vehicle. Again, when it comes to, I'm so grateful that no one got shot that night. Maybe we should talk to the parents of those kids that actually got shot. But I'm for kids coming together, but I do believe that they're being influenced by some greater See you later.

4:24:19 person to have, and they may be older than them, but I do believe that they are being influenced, they're coming together, and they're wreaking havoc. I am in full support of this because, again, I'm not going to sacrifice what I believe in kids coming together, but for the safety of my community. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Dow. Thank you, Mr. President.

4:24:51 proud to be a co-sponsor of this ordinance and I think that this issue has been set up as an either or proposition either you're for the curfew or you're against the curfew and instead want to invest in youth I believe that we can and should do both and I'm not down here doing lazy governance

4:25:23 I'm down here to actively work and do what is necessary to protect my community uplift my community and the entire city of Chicago and working with you Mr. Mayor we have prioritized and increased funding for youth jobs We have increased summer employment. We've made some park improvements. We've opened up new entertainment venues. We've opened up some mental health centers or reopened up some mental health centers.

4:25:57 And we've given teens an opportunity to find fun, enjoyment things to do. That's why we have My Shy, My Future. It could be more robust, but we have it. And we could get our new park supervisor in this room and find out what he's going to do to make our parks more interesting to our children. You know, how about some food trucks or making sure that we have some games and teams and things for our young people to be involved in for free.

4:26:40 We have expanded in our 2025 budget alone, increasing to over $50 million for youth employment and an additional $17 million for out-of-school programming. Now, we could do more, but to do more, we have to have the funds to do more, which means we have to grow our city. And in growing our city, we have to make sure that public safety is top of mind,

4:27:10 because nobody's going to want to come in to your community, my community downtown, and open up a business and generate tax revenue when they have to be concerned about public safety issues. I think the updated curfew ordinance is a preventative and a proactive approach to address these teen trends. These are teen trends which have resulted in property damage, fights, traffic disruptions, and at its worst, serious acts of violence and sometimes shootings.

4:27:51 I've seen the impact of these teen trends. Groups of kids marauding down 31st Street or King Drive, damaging local stores, jumping on cars, breaking windows. On the 31st Street Beach alone, between the 1st and the 2nd District, they have secured 28 guns just this year long.

4:28:22 Fun, peaceful gatherings are not the subject of this ordinance. Stopping these potentially chaotic and violent gatherings will help everybody, including our teens, including your daughter Alderman Scott, to feel safe that they can come downtown or go into a community or attend a parade. What we're talking about today, we're not talking about the majority of teens.

4:28:55 The majority of teens are good people, good children. We're talking about a small group that is wrecking havoc on this city. So I am asking you to not just... say that you want public safety. Let's do something about public safety. And I urge your support for this ordinance, and I hope that every single colleague in here will vote yes.

4:29:29 Thank you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Nugent. Thank you, Mr. President. As we continue to discuss and debate this policy, I think we've let a crucial part of this conversation fall by the wayside. We continually talk about the rights young teenagers have to congregate and potentially wreak havoc across our city, but we don't talk about the rights of Chicagoans and how they should have the ability to live without fare in the very communities they reside.

4:29:59 Like many of my colleagues, I've had constituents reach out to express how they are nervous, how they're scared getting home from work or pushing their kid in a stroller or heading back from the grocery store when they find themselves stuck in one of these intense situations. Their ability to live without fear should matter to us as well. And as a few of my colleagues have said, and particularly Alderman Dahl just now, this doesn't need to be an either-or scenario. I just don't buy into this premise that we can't protect the rights of young people and their ability to express themselves and congregate while also contemporaneously

4:30:33 having a policy in place to manage a situation if it gets out of hand and ensure the safety of our residents. We can institute this policy while also recognizing that we need to give our young people additional programming and opportunities, and I do believe the administration has done a good job promoting summer youth programming and summer jobs. We can institute this policy while ensuring it's done responsibly and fairly, and Alderman Hopkins has made it very clear that we can amend and change this policy if we find that we need to do that.

4:31:05 But I think it's crucial that we move forward. This all-or-nothing mentality we continue to take isn't helping us find solutions that work for our residents. Multiple things can be true at once. And, you know, I've put a lot of thought into this ordinance and how we've gotten here. And, you know, I believe the administration has worked with Alderman Hopkins. I believe Alderman Dowell and Alderman Hopkins and Alderman Irvin have put a lot of time into this, as has the police department, the superintendent, and the deputy mayor of public safety. This is an ordinance with standard operating procedures and processes, and that's important.

4:31:38 That is governance, having those checks and balances, and I will be supporting this ordinance today, and I encourage my colleagues to do so. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Raymond Lopez. Good afternoon, Mr. President and members of the city council. I rise to again stand in support of this effort led by our colleagues to try to rein in some of the chaos that we see being unleashed in our cities, communities, not just downtown as sometimes is alluded to, but throughout all 77 neighborhoods.

4:32:16 And I want to commend the sponsors and those who worked on this because it's important to recognize that this is not treating our youth in broad strokes. This is, at its very heart, problem-oriented policing, which is where we are seeing law enforcement go and pivot in the 21st century. Rather than provide an archaic and overly intrusive curfew ordinance that would impact all youth throughout the entire city,

4:32:58 this deals with specific situations as they arise, wherever they may arise. Whether it's the west side, south side, downtown, north side, southwest side, you name it, We can deal, through our police superintendent, God bless you, with whatever is arising in that specific location. This does not impact the overwhelming number of youth who, by and large, have a value system that reflects our own.

4:33:29 But this does acknowledge, as our colleague and chairman of the Finance Committee and sponsor of this mentioned, that there is a small youth that is committed to committing the chaos that we see, the anarchy that we see. Their warped sense of values is very different because right now they are not concerned with uplifting our city. They are not concerned with whatever free programs, opportunities, or safe spaces that you think that they want or we could even offer.

4:34:01 They are concerned with none of that because they are more concerned with becoming TikTok, Snapchat, or Instagram famous. That is their new God. And appeasing... Their faith in social media, it means for them to destroy our city and our way of life in so many neighborhoods. And if you think that I'm wrong, if you think I'm exaggerating,

4:34:33 take a moment and look at any one of those reels that are on social media where they could laugh hysterically as a friend is run over when there's a car takeover or where they're bringing guns and having people shot in neighborhoods all in the name of fun. I don't know about you, but that's not the kind of fun that we should be espousing. There are things that people will say that this is criminalizing our youth, that this is an assault on black and brown.

4:35:06 It is not. This recognizes that there is a small group of individuals individuals who are choosing to do bad things no matter what we offer. And the question that taxpayers will undoubtedly ask us is this. Where do you draw the line on what you're willing to give away for free to appease those who don't care what you're giving them? When do you recognize that no matter what you offer, no matter what you provide, that there are individuals who oftentimes, as my colleague said from the 18th Ward,

4:35:39 are being organized by people who don't even live in this city. to do bad things. They are following people who are inspiring them, thinking that this somehow will bring them some notoriety, some infamy on social media because that is where they solely exist. That is what we are up against, ladies and gentlemen. Should the youth of Chicago as a whole be punished? Absolutely not. They should be applauded.

4:36:10 Regardless what neighborhood they come from, if 100 of them come downtown and know how to be respectful of their city and enjoy everything that's here, God bless them. Bring a neighbor and make it 200. Because that's the kind of Chicago that we all expect. That's the kind of Chicago that we fantasize having here. But that's not the Chicago that matches the reality when we see 100 individuals descending because a social media post said, come on down to Lake Street and let's tear this up.

4:36:40 that is what we are fighting against and that's what this tool allows us to do and I applaud the sponsors and everyone who signed on because it recognizes that we can deal with a very specific problem with a very specific tool in a very specific way in a surgical strike against those who would choose to wreak havoc in our neighborhoods I don't want to criminalize an entire generation we don't need to And anyone who says we are is gaslighting this room for the performance to try to say that they are standing up for something that they're not standing up for.

4:37:17 We are dealing with those who are choosing to act in a very specific and dangerous way, and this allows us to do that. And I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of this. Thank you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alder Nicole Lee. Thank you, Mr. President. And I want to thank my colleagues who worked on this ordinance. I know it wasn't easy, and we spent a lot of time on this. I don't serve on the Public Safety Committee, but I participated in the debate

4:37:47 and appreciated having that opportunity. We worked hard on this, and I appreciate that you were open to some of the feedback that I had and some of my concerns. I'm the alderman of the 11th Ward. I have Chinatown. I have Sox Park. We also share 31st Street Alderman Dowell, and when the 31st Street Beach incident happened a couple weeks ago, one of my gas stations got looted as people were filtering out. My proximity to downtown also has put us at risk in Chinatown, and Chinatown is a place,

4:38:22 if you haven't been lately, you should come see us. It's popping. A lot of people come, and a lot of teenagers come and hang out there, and we want to keep it safe and sound. And oftentimes what has happened in the past is that there's stuff going on downtown that gets out of control and people are filtering south, it does have an impact on surrounding communities. In fact, this is not having to do with anything downtown, but this, as we've noted with some of my colleagues, this happens all over the city, and the 11th Ward is no different. We had one just Easter weekend in one of my neighborhoods.

4:38:56 I really do feel like this is something that is needed in terms of a tool for the police to have and used on a very judicious basis, and I have every confidence that our police department will use it in that way. It's not intended to be a blank check by any means. But it is something that I believe is going to help provide the kind of preemptive action that the police can take to prevent things from escalating when there is evidence to say that there's a good chance that it's going to happen.

4:39:26 I will be supporting this today. I appreciate all the work that my colleagues have done and urge my colleagues to do the same. Thank you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Sposado. Thank you, Mr. President. First, I wanted to start by thanking Alderman Hopkins. You really took the high road in your opening speech, and it was very eloquent and very well said. So I wish I could just carbon copy it, but I just have a few things I just want to touch on. You know, we talk about, you know, kids feel that they can't go downtown.

4:40:00 Well, you know, yeah, they can't go downtown for a reason. They have to worry about the knuckleheads that go down there. And a lot of kids don't want to go downtown. And, Monique, as much as I love you, but you're not the only parent that won't let their kids go down there. So I'm a parent of 40-year-old daughters, and believe me, they never go downtown. They don't want to go downtown. And I hear it from constituents all the time that they feel they can't send their kids downtown. And we're just talking about downtown. I know this covers the whole city, but I know we've been focusing on downtown because that seems to be where a lot of it is.

4:40:30 You know, we talked about kids' surveys. Kids don't want this. Kids don't want this. Kids don't want this. Well, I beg to differ. I bet a lot of the good kids would say they want this. And also, you know, we never hear from the businesses. I mean, I bet if Chamber of Commerce's were down here, they'd be overwhelmingly and businesses saying, we want this. We want to keep our stores open. We're losing business. You know, we're losing tax dollars in this city. And we're also protecting some people here that maybe some people don't feel too sorry for, but we're also protecting bad kids. And there's a lot of bad kids that change their lives at some point in their life.

4:41:02 And we want those kids to have an opportunity to change their lives and be around to change their lives. So some kids, you can offer things to do, whatever, and they're just going to wreak havoc no matter what. You can offer them basketball games. You can offer them movies. You can offer them whatever. They're just not going to accept it. You know, just some kids are just going to continue to be knuckleheads. But this is all about making Chicago a safer place. And like I say, I believe it's not going to be used that often, but just, once again, another tool in the toolbox. So I 100 percent support this and thank those of you that do support it.

4:41:34 Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Are there any other Alders that wish to speak to this item? The chair recognizes Alderman Riley. Thank you, Mr. President. And I want to thank my colleagues for speaking up in support of this ordinance, especially Alderman Dowell. I thought your your comments were spot on. What's been frustrating here today is hearing from colleagues from all over the city talking about how either they or their friends don't feel comfortable allowing their children to come downtown,

4:42:05 which is an area that Alderman Dowell and Alderman Hopkins and Conway and others, Burnett, represent. Our constituents live here. And so when there's a perception among parents that it's not safe to send their kids to the central business district of the third largest city in the country, that's a big problem beyond the kids and the families. Let's think for a moment about what used to be a robust convention and tourism economy here.

4:42:38 That's how that revenue is how we pay for a lot of the programs, ironically, that we use to serve our youth. how do you think the tourists feel when they're down here dodging bullets at one of these teen trends we had a woman in town with her daughter for a choir competition who was hit by a bullet shot at one of these teen trends what do you think her experience was visiting our city and what do you think she shared with her friends and family when she returned home

4:43:09 how was your trip to Chicago how was the choir competition Should we visit Chicago? These are major issues. And, you know, beyond convention and tourism, people wonder why we don't have all these tower cranes in the air like we used to. I had more than 30 in the air at one time under a couple of administrations ago. And we used to see tower cranes throughout the city, not just in the central business district. Now you can count them on one hand. And why is that?

4:43:41 It's not because developers here don't want to build more stuff. They sure do. And it's not because our friends in the building trades unions don't want to go to work and feed their families, because I can tell you they sure do. There is a giant red line drawn like a circle around the city of Chicago by the finance community. And I don't just mean the Chicago finance community. There are serious misgivings with our lack of political leadership. And frankly, our...

4:44:13 Business unfriendly policies, but most importantly, an issue that Alderman Curtis brought up, which is public safety. There's very little confidence in the city's ability to provide for that. And all of those factors lead to that big red line being drawn around this beautiful, fantastic city. And who's eating our lunch right now? Nashville. Tampa. Miami. Scottsdale. Charlotte. it. Our tower cranes and the investment money and, frankly, the developers who would build

4:44:47 these buildings in this city are doing it in those cities, because those cities know how to handle their business. And I can tell you, this is one of those key factors that plugs into the back-of-envelope equations that decide where the money is invested. it. And this is how you see the decline of great cities. When the investment dries up and people shift their focus to other municipalities, it's very difficult to rebuild that confidence. It's very difficult to get that investment back. And we're losing it. And we're continuing

4:45:23 to lose it. And so if nothing else, and this is certainly not a symbolic vote, this is a vote that has consequences. If we don't get this right, and we continue to make the other mistakes we've been making, this city was absolutely guaranteed to decline. And we won't hold the distinction of being the third largest city in America. We'll be one of the former largest cities in America. And so take this to heart. No one wants to villainize

4:45:55 children. Last count, I think there are over 300,000 kids at CPS. They're not all engaging in this ridiculous activity. The vast majority of our kids are behaving, and they're engaging in healthy, productive activity when they're not at school or at work or with their family. This is a small group of people who are doing incredible damage to our city's reputation and, frankly, to the safety and stability of our neighborhoods. And again, as was mentioned by other eloquent speakers here today,

4:46:27 this is not a downtown problem. It is a problem downtown, but this is a problem throughout the city of Chicago. And God forbid this type of activity visits upon your ward, and you have to field the phone calls from the scared grandparents and the young families and others about how they're supposed to navigate their neighborhoods on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening when they should be enjoying the summer months. So I'm really glad that everyone got up and spoke to this today

4:46:57 because it's been characterized as something it is not. But most importantly, as Alderman Hopkins, the sponsor, mentioned, this provides the police department with an opportunity to disperse crowds so they don't need to arrest juveniles. Nobody wants to see that. When a kid gets arrested, that goes on their record for a time. And with that can come lots of issues. Let's avoid that. I think as a deterrent, this can help us prevent the problem. So I'll be voting yes, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

4:47:30 Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Alderman Sigcho Lopez, for reasons stated in Rule 59, has expressed the desire and the need to participate in this portion of our meeting remotely. Madam Clerk, could you confirm that he is actually online? Alderman Cito Lopez, are you there? Yes. Yes, thank you, Mr. President. Can I get a motion for the approval of his participation remotely? All those in favor signify by saying aye. Any opposed say no. In opinion, Chair, the ayes have it. Are there any other alders that wish to speak?

4:48:01 We have two final speakers, unless anyone else wishes to speak to this item. Very well. Seeing no other hands, our final two speakers will be Alderman Clay and then Alderman Irvin has preserved the right to close. The chair recognizes Alderman Clay. Thank you so much, Mr. President, for this opportunity, and I appreciate my colleagues for us having such a civilized conversation on this floor today. So proud of us for getting here. I think that this topic is really near and dear to my heart, Mr. President,

4:48:32 because as the youngest black female council member on this floor, I have a very diverse ward that has a ton of young people, And I thought I was still young, but I'm not. And by listening to them, I think I've taken away a couple of things from this conversation. Number one, this body does care a lot about public safety. All of us here want to make sure that no matter what ward you reside in, that you're able to get home safely, that your babies have access to great resources, and that you are also able to flourish as a business.

4:49:07 We also want to make sure that we are listening to... the lifeblood of our communities, which the next people who will be voting for our next leaders are our young people. I have been toying with this question for quite some time because we keep using the word tools. Tool is so broad, you all, that it can't just be siphoned into one thing, which I feel like we're doing right now with a curfew.

4:49:39 The tools that we know work are sometimes the tools that some of my colleagues never even want to use. We had to fight for the peace book ordinance. We had to fight for more youth jobs. We had to fight for the tools that now everybody wants to use in their toolbox, but they weren't just tools that were handed to us. These were tools that we had to fight for. I also find it a little funny that we never talk about these tools outside of the context

4:50:11 when our young people don't look like black and brown youth. It bothers me that we have a room full of young people back here and nobody has asked them their opinion on this issue. I'm very much so dedicated that the people who are mostly impacted by what we are discussing should be at the table, making sure that they are also given their observations and opinions on the matter.

4:50:43 And we have neglected to talk to anyone today. This morning, I'm so ecstatic that my alma mater, Uplift Community High School, Go Titans, delivered to me an entire folder of handwritten letters, you all. I love this so much because I love handwritten letters. And I just want to share with you some of their statements that they said to me this morning. I feel like they are mostly targeted in the black community because they might think that they cause a lot of the issues, but teens need places to just be themselves and feel like

4:51:17 they are a part of a community. I think they should take away guns. What I learned about the snap curfew is that it's trying to shut down trends for safety purposes, but to me it sounds unfair to us teens because what mostly is the problem is firearms. You all, we talk about public safety so much that we think that our young people are oblivious to what's going on in this city. The tool that I feel like we really aren't even talking about is how are we continuing

4:51:49 to let our young people get guns? How are we still talking about this? And this is something that's been talked about since I was a young person. How are our young people in the city of Chicago, you all, still getting access to firearms, but they can't get access to jobs. The issue that we are discussing here is a broader conversation that a lot of us are too afraid to have, which is what are the tools that we really are that are preventing some of these

4:52:21 instances from happening in the first place. We never bring up single-parent households or we never bring up the parents after Lollapalooza. We never talk about who raised you and why don't you have decorum after Pride Fest. We never talk about people's upbringing only when it contains young black and brown people. And so I wouldn't be me and I wouldn't be

4:52:54 representative of the ward that I represent, which is one of the most diverse wards on this entire planet, if I didn't stand up and speak for the young people who we are talking over right now, they too want to have a safe place in the city of Chicago. In my neck of the woods, we used to have rainbow skating rink, y'all. Some of y'all been there. You ain't too old. And as soon as Rainbow was closed down, we had a direct correlation of

4:53:25 public safety issues going up, because our young people had nowhere else to go. Growing up, I'm 10-15 minutes away from downtown. Me and my friends took the red line every summer down here. Everywhere we could go in downtown, the water tower, the beam, the lakefront, we were there. Now did all of my friends behave how we want them to? No, absolutely not. However, that never stopped us from having access access to this beautiful city no one wants your

4:53:58 neighborhoods torn up no one wants anyone to get shot in this city but what we are also avoiding is the hard conversations as to what are we giving our young people Let's talk about the tools, you all. We can't just talk about let's have a curfew, but then what are you going to do after the curfew? As a lot of our young people know, it's summertime. The sun is still out at about 9 p.m., you all, and it's beautiful. What are we expecting them to do, to just sit on their phones and go through screen time for eight hours?

4:54:34 What we are doing right now, again, is not listening to the young people of this city who are the ones that are going to be directly impacted by this law. So I want to encourage my neighbors and my fellow colleagues to have the hard conversation. Have the hard conversation about what it looks like to be a disinvestment in your community. You have nowhere for your young people to go. Everybody's not going to the Boys and Girls Club. Everybody's not going to the parks. And I appreciate you, Mr. Mayor, for having midnight basketball with our young people,

4:55:08 because that is something that they want to do. I still got it. You tried. Okay? You tried. I know a couple young people that was out there, okay? But that type of relationship and that type of commitment to our young people goes well farther than what we are trying to accomplish with this ordinance. So I just wanted to speak my piece because, again, I feel like what we are doing is we're just not listening.

4:55:38 We all want to have the conversation about how do we make us safe, you all. We all want to get home to our families, you all, especially our young people. It pains my heart every time one of our young people is impacted by gun violence because their future is cut at the knees. But what are we doing as a body, as a city, to not just protect them but to propel them forward? So I'm a no. Thank you. Thank you.

4:56:09 Okay, so thank you. I previously stated that there were two speakers left, Alderman Clay and Alderman Irvin. However, there are three other alders that have expressed a willing to speak to this item. So it's Alders Rodriguez, Fuentes, Rodriguez, and now Tabarez.

4:56:41 Are there any other Alders that wish to speak to this item? All right, we'll add Vasquez and Napolitano. Alderwoman Clay, as long as Vice Mayor is part of this body, you are always young. So the chair recognizes. That's not funny. The chair recognizes Alder Fuentes.

4:57:12 Thank you, Mr. President. First, I want to start by saying that I have a deep, a deep respect for Alderman Hopkins and Alderwoman Pat Dow. This is not about who sponsored the ordinance. This is not about the color of your skin or what ward in this city you reside in or represent. and I want to say that because there's going to be some clear disagreement but that doesn't take away the fact that

4:57:42 I want to be partners in the work with you all and that public safety is important to me I want to say that I'm proof of concept I'm proof of concept that when we invest in our young people when we radically love our young people and when we give them opportunities to lead they can be agents of change in our city. I'm an older person that has a juvenile record and an early adult record.

4:58:15 I wasn't always the best community organizer and activist in Humboldt Park. I was 16 years old when I first had my first encounter with the juvenile justice system and getting into a school fight at Carl Scherz High School. I grew up in a household with a father that spent an overwhelming majority of my life in and out of prison And a mother that suffered from substance abuse At 16 years old, I had no idea how to socially, emotionally regulate

4:58:45 Or even be a good person for my community All I knew how to do was survive And that meant I made terrible decisions I made terrible ones And my lived experience isn't an excuse for the decisions I made I had to pay the consequences. I assume responsibility for my decisions. But I want to tell you what was the turning point for me. I was 17 years old. I walked into a high school called Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos, Puerto Rican High School.

4:59:18 And there was a mentor there who chose to see me and love me despite my faults. And then he chose to invest in me, getting me a summer job, making me a youth leader for a youth organization called Bate Urbano. He gave me a pen, paper, and a mic. He allowed me to perform poetry To be an actor in a play He opened up resources That were down the block for me That I didn't even know existed

4:59:48 And I lived from them my entire life My entire life You know what didn't help me What didn't help me was being in handcuffs What didn't help me was telling me That I was misbehaving Or that I wasn't worthy of resources What helped me was a community Investing in me And I know that to work not because we're seeing crime go down currently on the news because of our investments in violence prevention and youth employment

5:00:18 I know that because I've lived it I get to be the older person of the 26th Ward because my community chose to invest in me and so my no vote today is not because I just disagree with the chief sponsors or that I disagree with the points that were made with people who are supporting this ordinance because I do agree with the concerns that even those who are supporting these ordinances have. What I don't believe is that this ordinance seeks to solve the problem we are seeking to solve here today.

5:00:55 The amount of guns that our young people have access to is criminal. I want to address that. The lack of resources in many communities in the city of Chicago is criminal. I want to address that. The fact that young people only believe that they can authentically be themselves on TikTok I want to address that too Young people deserve to authentically show up in every space that they're in And we have to cultivate the environment for young people to feel that way

5:01:26 I also have serious concerns around the general language and this ordinance That I believe is going to open us up for lawsuits We spend millions of dollars in settlements just here in this body. I don't want to spend more money in settlements with bad policy. I don't want us to come back a couple months from now and we have to settle something that we could have avoided due to the general language in this ordinance.

5:01:58 There are many attorneys and civil organizations that have already articulated to us the constitutional violations they already believe to be in this ordinance. And so I'm a no vote today, but that does not mean that I'm not willing to work with my colleagues in this body, or that, you know, I have to not like folks who are voting yes, right? That's not about that. We all believe that our city should be safer. We are all invested in our public safety. We just believe in two different routes to get there, and I do think that that's okay. So I'm not walking away from this vote today. I'm probably going to vote no. Thank you, Mr. President.

5:02:38 The mayor recognizes Alderman Mike Rodriguez. Yes, and I'm going to do my best to – I like to brag about being brief, so I'm going to try that again, folks. I hope that's okay. Look, I think my two other colleagues spoke very eloquently to the heart, so I'm going to leave that to that. I'm going to speak directly to the policy and a bit to the head, if you will. I concur with my colleagues. colleagues, the folks voting for this ordinance, I think they're trying to help our city.

5:03:12 I don't have a problem with that. My issue is in some of the lack of clarity in this language, and I'm just going to bring two things up. In Section 21 , the public of the curfew imposed, forgive me, by the public spaces such a declaration is made, including if feasible, causing such information to be posted around public places which which places like how is that going to get done uh c2 defines a parent or guardian

5:03:45 as being a fence really to what extent like where does that go where is that limited what are we gonna do with these parents are we locking them up as well for something that they didn't necessarily do you know in the 1980s we had a war on drugs that really was a war on inner-city communities we spent a lot of time in the 80s and 90s figuring out how to incarcerate people and how to make sure that drug mandatory minimums were raised and crime just increased i think the amount of time that we

5:04:20 spent on this issue is an important amount of time i would much rather be spending that time and figuring out from the front end and how we're investing in our young people versus how we are planning to incarcerate them and look i i'm not saying that the proponents of this are just trying to incarcerate youth i've heard you loud and clear this is an deterrent effort i think there are better ways to deter this type of negative activity that none of us want i'm with you on that i do not want these takeovers as well i i agree wholeheartedly i just don't think this is the

5:04:54 right way to do that i will be i will not be supporting this effort and i do call on my colleagues to join us in that in that in that vote thank you mr president thank you the chair recognizes Alderwoman Tabates. Thank you. I will be supporting this measure because curfews are about safety. They're not about punishment. They're about permitting harm. And we've seen violence erupt at these events. Not every kid is violent, but when one or two

5:05:29 act out, every kid is at risk. And these large teen gatherings that have been threatening downtown safety not only hurts our businesses, but it also makes every resident feel unsafe. Every neighborhood, including downtown, and our wards deserves to be safe. And if we don't take action, these events will only increase, and people, including kids, will get hurt. So to do this right, we need to provide kids with opportunities, but also enforce clear rules.

5:06:05 These teen events often turn violent, and this measure gives the Chicago Police Department the ability to act to prevent large teen gatherings. Our kids need to understand that there are repercussions for their actions. Discipline and rewards are both essential, but right now there are no consequences for kids acting recklessly in downtown. So it's true that we must invest in kids in our neighborhoods, And statistics show that when you implement a curfew paired with opportunities for kids, it works.

5:06:45 You look at cities like San Antonio, Texas, that do both, curfews and investing for kids' opportunities. So like my colleagues mentioned earlier, this is an either-or situation. We need both opportunities and expectations. There are two pieces of the same puzzle. So for aldermen who want more funding for kids, I certainly agree. I 100 percent agree with you. But we achieve that by safeguarding downtown and the wards that we each represent. So I urge my colleagues to vote yes. Thank you.

5:07:15 Thank you. The chair recognizes Alder Vasquez. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I'll try my best not to repeat what some of our other colleagues have mentioned. I think everyone here is clearly invested in a safe and affordable city, a Chicago, that everyone can feel comfortable to walk around and to travel and to appreciate anywhere in the city. And I know that there are often challenges. Not as young as I used to be, but there was a time where I was young.

5:07:50 And it was the ability to go downtown that actually changed my view about the city as a whole. We know the history of how segregated Chicago is, and it was my ability to actually go downtown as somebody who was looking to meet other kids, to get involved, create music, to express ourselves, that allowed me to learn about the experiences of other youth everywhere in the city. It's what helped me learn what different parts of town, like to go visit the Point and to go to Navy Pier and other places.

5:08:21 I wouldn't have even taken those steps, but not for the ability to go downtown and meet other youth and try to convene as a community, even as we're all high school kids still trying to figure out who we were. In trying to do that, even back then, we would get kicked out of places with or without a curfew. Every single weekend at Navy Pier, you would watch scores of young kids all getting kicked out, police telling us to get the heck out of there, right? But you would also see who would not get kicked out.

5:08:52 And it would also be youth that would not get kicked out. Typically, they were more affluent. Typically, they weren't black and brown. And all that did to us is make us feel like we weren't part of a community, make us feel like we were less than anybody else around and actually led more of us to engage in further activity we shouldn't be engaging in because when you don't feel like you're a part of a community you tend to lose some of that connection and some of that investment in what it means to be part of a city you feel like you've got to go wherever else the kids are sneaking

5:09:23 around to you as opposed to being proud of being in your own city in places to actually enjoy yourself. That was in the 90s. Not much has changed about the tools that we talk about when it comes to public safety. I appreciate that our colleagues who very much are invested in a safer city talk about, just as Alderwoman Tabaris just did, like the balance. You have to figure out what accountability looks like when somebody is engaged in activity that

5:09:53 they shouldn't and also figure out what it means to invest in someone and reward proper behavior. So the fact that we talk about one without the other is part of the challenge, not because people don't believe we should do both, but we don't seem to be moving in tandem on both. We say, hey, let's do one and then we'll talk about the investment stuff later. And then budget comes and they go, well, we don't have the money to do the other stuff. And so we still have the one in place, But we're not doing the second one. So it would be, I think, in all of our best interest to write legislation that actually encompasses both as we're doing it rather than leaving one behind because it doesn't lead to the kind of solutions we all want to see.

5:10:36 more often than not i've heard from our colleagues and i appreciate it that like this is a tool for cpd this is something that they need it's been pretty clear that the tools that the officers have now are the ones they can use for dispersal when it comes to communication about hey we found out that you all planner are planning to be on this corner next week you can just say guess what We're going to be there first at CPD, so maybe you don't want to be there. A curfew doesn't empower CPD any further to do the things that they can already do.

5:11:08 And just as recently as last week, Superintendent Snelling said publicly on the record things that he's told us on the phone and talked to us individually. That he didn't ask for it and he wouldn't use it because it wasn't the curfew that he's seeking to do. he's seeking to prevent the activity which communication could do so when we had the hearing about it I asked if CPD asked about it and I take my colleague Alderman Hopkins as moving in good faith so when he stated that there was a conversation about it

5:11:41 I'm going to understand that maybe there was a miscommunication as to what was intended I don't believe anybody was being facetious about it but ultimately the superintendent said it's not a tool I would use I didn't ask for it I also asked for, through the chair, any instances of how many times it's been used as far as our current curfew at 10 p.m. I didn't get that information. I asked, can you get any information on settlements related to any of the cases that might have involved curfew? I didn't get that information. And so it's challenging for me to support something that on its face CPD said they don't want and they wouldn't use and didn't ask for.

5:12:20 it's something that doesn't empower them to do anything further than they already can do and i don't think it would change the results and so i i don't i try not to be cynical but sometimes when you have neighbors who are rightfully and justifiably afraid because they're seeing this activity weekend after weekend and you're the older person who has to answer for it and you can't figure out another way to answer because cpd has all the tools that they already have then the next step you take is say well i'm writing the legislation and this is going to be the thing that's going to solve the problem i think the challenge is this if this were to pass

5:12:54 it's not going to stop the activity from happening it's just not so you're just passing something to say that you passed something as opposed to actually solving the problem i would definitely want to partner not just with other colleagues here but like let's have the youth involved they've been asking for legislation to get passed so why not write it together and have that kind of investment. Um, again, I, I, I think everyone here in good faith is trying their best to keep their community safe and make sure people can enjoy it. I just think there's better ways to do it, which is why I'll be a no. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

5:13:30 So there are two more speakers before the final speaker. So Napolitano is no longer the speaker before the final speaker. Sorry, Napolitano. But Alderwoman Stephanie Coleman, I'm going to just ask again, Are there any other Alders that wish to speak before our final speaker? All right. In the meantime, the chair recognizes Alderman Napolitano. Thank you, Mr. President. Before I even start, what a great debate. What a great calm debate between us all where we've kind of gone off the rails in other directions on other debates.

5:14:06 I guess this is something important, and we're all treating it that it's important. And to add to what my colleague said to my right here, I was a downtown kid, too. I think most of us all were. We all had the ability to travel downtown, experience the greatest city in the country. That's why we all wanted to represent it in city council at some point in our lives, to defend it and to make it grow and to put Chicago on the map as not one of the best cities, but the best city. Unfortunately, where we've gone in recent years is what I could attribute to what my other colleague said, Alderman Scott.

5:14:41 I have three kids, teenagers, and I refuse to let them go downtown. I just don't want them to stumble upon something that might not go the right way and to witness something that they might not want to see. I've got a lot of demons in my head of things I've seen over the years. I don't want my kids to witness that or to see it or to be a part of it. Who's to say that they're not going to partake in it? They're not perfect. But what worries me here is we're all seeing the exact same thing happen on TV every weekend,

5:15:14 and it's getting out of control. It's getting worse every week. And I believe the spirit here is we're looking to create something that could maybe make it a little bit better and to make our city a little bit safer. And one thing we're not taking into account here is how times are changing so much right now, and we're looking for tools. But this is what's changing the times so quickly for us right now. This gives kids, let's not put it on kids, on everybody, the ability to assemble and disperse at the drop of a hat like that.

5:15:46 So where you say one thing's going to happen, this gives them the ability to assemble in a different location. This gives them the ability to disperse and assemble in another location. And what I like about this ordinance is this is not a blanket curfew. It's a drop-it-and-pick-it-up type of ordinance. So it doesn't mean that we're blanketing curfewing everybody all the time. It gives you the ability to hit areas at certain times when things are going wrong

5:16:17 and then lift it and raise it and lift it and raise it. It's another tool. I just think that if, like my colleague said here, it's going to happen again, right? Absolutely, it's going to happen again. But if we're not doing our job to create something that might not make it happen again, or like my other colleague said, that we could possibly save a kid that's there in the wrong by just shutting it down immediately, maybe the bad kid got hurt that day.

5:16:48 Maybe the good kid got hurt that day. But if we're not thinking of something in real time right now to get ahead of this, we're going to hurt the city of Chicago. We're going to hurt our business corridors. We are keeping people from going downtown. We're not creating more tax dollars because people aren't enjoying the city of Chicago as much anymore. I've got friends that live outside the city, as I'm sure all of you do. They refuse to go downtown anymore. They're staying in the surrounding suburbs. Unfortunately, they're staying in the surrounding suburbs just outside of where I live, too, but they're staying on the surrounding suburbs because they don't want to go downtown

5:17:19 and deal with what Chicago has to offer right now. I think we're all smart enough to figure out how to get ahead of this. Like a lot of my colleagues said as well, this isn't something we can amend, make better as we go along, but let's create something, vote for it, and put it, and enact it, and see how it works before we destroy it and give our city a chance, give our youth a chance. Let me let my kids go back downtown again. You know, that's the way it should be. I grew up down here. They should grow up down here, too. Thank you, Mr. President.

5:17:49 Thank you. All right. The chair recognizes Alderman Stephanie Coleman. Thank you, Mr. President. I'm going to be very, very, very brief. I was not going to even make any comments, but Chairman Vasquez, you had stated that there were some comments that were made via the WBZ article. And I just want to say in his absence and also his alderman's absence, I know Commander Snelling, I know Lieutenant Snelling, Deputy Snelling, and now Superintendent Snelling. What he says he means, he means what he says and says what he means.

5:18:23 I think we can all say at some point of our career we have either been misquoted or the entire story wasn't told. So in his absence, Superintendent Snelling is a man of integrity. He was misquoted. Those comments were not, in fact, what he says. And in private conversations, he has shared that with us. So just in his absence, I just want to make it very clear on record that he is a man of integrity. So what he says then, he's not going to switch it up and say to us a different message.

5:18:54 Thank you so much. I just wanted to speak in his absence. Thank you. Thank you, Alderwoman Coleman. Are there any other Alders that wish to speak? All right. The chair recognizes Alder Vasquez. Thank you. I just wanted to appreciate it. They called my name is just directly fully. Yes. Direct. I agree fully about Superintendent Snelling's integrity. I don't think anybody here questions his integrity. What I stated was what I stated. I had the same conversation with him on the phone. Thank you, chairman. Very well. Thank you. All right. See you. No other hands and no other names being mentioned outside of the next one. I'm going to call for the final.

5:19:33 word on this debate. The chair recognizes Alderman Jason Irvin. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank co-sponsors of this legislation, the Alderman, the second and the third ward. This was a very interesting and sometimes, I think, difficult conversation. and I've been in Chicago

5:20:03 all of my life only time I wasn't in Chicago I spent four years in Carbondale and they say that outside of Chicago was a place called Illinois and I say that to say that I spent time in southern Illinois and I learned some stuff that I didn't learn here in the city of Chicago One evening I found myself in a town called Mounds, Illinois.

5:20:38 A little small town in Pulaski County. Put four counties in a car and we landed in Mounds, Illinois. Found ourselves, went to a hole in the wall. A friend from Tams, Illinois, took us to, just wanted to get out of town. But on the way back, I ended up in a town called Anna. You all look up the history, Union County, Anna, Illinois. And when we stopped there, the young lady who was from Tam said, we can't be here.

5:21:09 It was two o'clock in the morning. We can't be here. And I didn't know this. I didn't understand this. And that was something I never forgot. When our first disordination first hit, it was eerily familiar to saying that black kids could not go downtown. That's what I took from that ordinance. I'm going to be very honest with you. I understand the alderman is trying to protect his community, to do what he felt was the proper thing to do.

5:21:44 However, I think that us taking a position limiting anybody's ability to traverse this city in a way that everybody else can, I took issue. And that's why I got involved in this conversation. And I got involved in a sense of trying to create something, understanding the challenge that downtown aldermen were facing and trying to come to some conclusions in relation to that.

5:22:20 And unfortunately, what we have now is worse than what we started with, meaning that not only can it happen downtown, but it can happen all over the city. Right. Secondly, this power is bestowed in one department whose interests may not necessarily be totally aligned with the interests of our entirety of the of the city. and again.

5:22:50 Giving authority to a department that historically has not had the best interests of black kids in its place is not something that I want to sign up for. Now, granted, we tried to create a situation that gave some balance to the situation, but that was rejected by members of council. Now, we don't have a crystal ball to see what's going to happen, but check this out.

5:23:20 I've never seen law enforcement take power and want to give it back again. I've never seen law enforcement not want to keep power that it's having. So if we were to say today, let's go back and re-implement the disorderlies, stop and frisk, other items that, granted, people might feel safer. But those are the same policies that led us to the Crime Bill in 95 that we know historically was wrong.

5:23:56 Today was interesting that Bobby Russ was here and he spoke to this specifically about how the knee jerk reaction of what was happening in the 80s and 90s led us to that point that today we know is wrong. This is one of those potential crystallizing moments. It's our job as legislators to put up guardrails, right? We don't execute. We put up guardrails. And our job is also to balance the interest.

5:24:28 And this particular test of balancing the interest, squarely at the determination and the mindset of the Chicago Police Department, whose interests don't necessarily balance the entirety of all interests, is not something I think that we need to be allowing for in this moment. it. Again, knee-jerk reactions lead to challenges. And here we have a situation where we've got a

5:25:06 chief executive and a superintendent, and if I'm speaking out of turn, I am, that is clearly in conflict on this issue. And why would we want to put him in a position to be in conflict with the chief executive of this city. Because he's the one that's going to face the consequences of that particular decision, should it go wrong, or should it go in a way that is not in agreement with the head of the city of Chicago that the people elected, that is the

5:25:38 mayor. And so it's kind of, I don't understand why we would want to put the superintendent that everybody pretty much is in varying degrees saying is doing a decent job in that line of fire a consequence because the next question will be why didn't you do this and creating conflict unnecessarily. This is something that is unneeded. It is something that there are tools in the box. And as I said before, I've never seen law enforcement not continue

5:26:10 to want more authority. And this authority is going to land squarely on the kids on the south and west side of Chicago. Now, granted, we got some bad jokers. We understand that. But again, those are things that we have other tools and need resources to help challenge and manage, right? They say the neglect is not cost-free. These are some of the things that happen when we don't take care of our young people. And again, everything we are trying to do,

5:26:47 We talk about criminal acts. Police department doesn't need a curfew to deal with criminal acts. They have the ability to do that today. Again, I know it's challenging. I know it's easy. This is easy to just say, let's do this and put this behind us. But this is not the right decision. Our young people need help. Our young people need assistance.

5:27:17 Our young people need people that are going to love them. This is the same methodology that was brought about in the 90s. We know it was wrong then and still wrong today. Unfortunately, there's more work to do, and it's not just in policing. And when we get the idea that public safety is more than policing, then we will be able to move forward. Because public safety is more than just the police department.

5:27:51 As the order from the 46th Ward talked about, as everyone has talked about, our communities need investment, our communities need assistance, we got enough police officers. We don't need more power for the police department, we need more power for the people. With that, I ask for a roll call vote. Very well. Thank you, Alderman. And thank you to all of those who have spoken. There's an item on the floor. There's a motion that has been made for this item. The item has been motioned for a roll call vote.

5:28:24 Please use your e-vote application to record your vote at this time. Thank you, Madam Clerk. The voting is now open. The voting is now open. Please use your e-device. The voting is now open.

5:29:48 I will now call on those that did not use the e-device for a voice vote. Alderwoman Dow. Yay. Alderwoman Dow is a yes. Alderwoman Taylor. No. Alderwoman Taylor is a no. Alderman Cicho Lopez. Yes. No. Cicho Lopez is a no. Alderman Burnett. No. Alderman Burnett is a no.

5:30:19 Alderwoman Rodriguez-Sanchez. No. All right. And Alderwoman Mitt is not in chambers. All right. The voting is now closed. There are 27 yeas, 22 nays. This motion passes. Alderman Mitchell on the motion to reconsider. Move the reconsider. All those in favor of the reconsideration of this vote signify by saying aye.

5:30:51 Those who oppose say no. No. This motion fails. Alderman Mitchell. Are you aware of any other business? Unfinished business, rather. I am aware of one piece of unfinished business. Oh, no, no. I'm not aware of any further pieces of unfinished business. Very well. Thank you. Now for miscellaneous business, however. Alderman Mitchell. I'm aware of four pieces of miscellaneous business, filed by Alderman Villegas, Alderman Ramirez, Alderman Martin, and Alderman Lawson.

5:31:25 The first two pieces of the miscellaneous business notices of intent to discharge were filed by Alderman Villegas and Alderman Ramirez, but both have withdrawn their notices. The third piece of miscellaneous business was filed by Alderman Martin and states an intent to discharging the Committee on Committees and rules for further consideration of the re-referral of Ordinance 2025-0015583.

5:31:55 Very well. The chair recognizes Alderman Martin. Thank you, Mr. President. I move to discharge this matter from the Committee on Committees and Rules and re-refer to the Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight. There, I believe, are two motions. This is the first. Very well. So there's a first motion to discharge this item from the Committee on Rules.

5:32:26 Is this a vote we can do by voice? Is that okay? All right. All those in favor of the discharging of this item signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. Audubon Martin. Thank you. I lastly move to re-refer this matter to the Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight by voice vote. Farewell. If there is no one that wishes to speak to this item, the chair recognizes Alderman Gardner.

5:32:58 Thank you, Mr. President. In light of some recent news and rulings that came out within the last 48 hours, I would just like to speak on this very briefly. I want to start by thanking all my colleagues today and how well you spoke eloquently about different issues that we had in front of us regarding curfews, regarding LGBTQIA, and

5:33:28 I'm very grateful for all that you have said because I tried my best to listen to your passionate words, and I ask that you take a minute to listen to some of the words that I want to share with you. And it's not for me as much as it is for every single person here. I am the son of Margaret and Joseph Gardner, two immigrants who came here as teenagers and worked their way up and raised seven children to be strong and to be brave. There was two things

5:34:08 that they drilled into our head, which was to serve others and respect your peers, especially the people that you serve. I've spent 24 years serving the people of this city where I was born and raised. I love this city. I have worked. You need a minute, Alderman Garner. You have a minute,

5:34:59 sir. I've worked in the parks. I've worked in schools. I've been a coach. I've been a mentor to hundreds of people in this city on the north and the south side in the west side of Chicago. I've worked as a firefighter. I've worked as an alderman. I've done my very best to serve the people of this city.

5:35:43 It's very difficult for me to talk about what has happened within the last four years, and I can't put it into words. but in 2023 after I won re-election to represent the people of the 45th Ward

5:36:14 I was accused of violating 10 ethics codes something that I would never do I was fined two thousand dollars for each violation for a maximum fine of $20,000. I couldn't believe what I heard. I couldn't believe what I read.

5:36:49 After 24 years of serving this city, I was accused of gross malpractice. I was devastated. I was depressed. It shook me to my core. And only because of my faith and the love of my wife

5:37:21 Yes. I was able to fight. So I picked myself up off the ground and started to reach out to some lawyers and ask for some legal advice.

5:37:57 Because as a kid who grew up in the city of Chicago, in a blue-collar family, you don't know your rights. So I reached out to some lawyers, and all of them said, just pay the fee, move on. Can't fight the system. Can't fight the city. When they got you, they got you, even if it ain't true.

5:38:32 I found one lawyer, Steve Ledizinski, who was crazy enough to take it on and say, hey, man, this is wrong. This is wrong in so many different ways. These allegations are totally bogus. And so we fought it. We went to war with the city. And I mention war because the city hired some guns to come after me,

5:39:03 outside law firm, big, well-respected law firm. And they didn't just get some kid out of college. They got a partner of a law firm to come after me and shove this down my throat. Said, we're going to shove this down your throat, whether you like it or not, whether you did it or not. That's pretty intimidating. It's very intimidating. But they were nice enough to say, if you take a plea and you pay only a portion of this fine and admit to your faults, you can move on.

5:39:37 What would you do? Would you risk 10 times that amount in legal fees and then also have the $20,000 fine staring you down to pay at well over $100,000? Would you sell yourself out? What price can you put on your reputation?

5:40:08 What price? I'm the son of Margaret and Joseph Gardner. They taught us to serve others and respect others.

5:40:38 That's exactly what I've done for 24 years. But don't trust my words. Bill Conlon, the chair of the Board of Ethics, I handed it out to you, all of you today, as many as I possibly could. please read his words in here please read his findings and i know a lot of us some of us are lawyers so you'll understand it it'll be easy for you to understand some of you some like myself

5:41:10 we're not we're street kids right we grew up in the city chicago we're tough kids but sometimes we're not educated as far as legal uh words are concerned and i had a hard time even understanding this. I'm a street kid. But it says the investigative body's failure or refusal to disclose all exculpatory material in its possession from the investigation? For those of us who are

5:41:46 not lawyers, do we know what exculpatory evidence is? Exculpatory evidence is something that tends to be beneficial to the defendant. Something that could maybe rule in their favor to say, hey, he or she is not guilty of something. Failure or refusal to disclose exculpatory

5:42:21 material. I'm having a hard time understanding that. I'm having a hard time how, because at the core, as you guys know, of any investigative body, and correct me if I'm wrong, is transparency and accountability, right? We say that a lot. We said it a lot today, I heard, right? So if you have information, exculpatory evidence, it's your duty, your basic duty,

5:42:53 to share that information. If that body cannot live up to its most basic principles, how in God's green earth can we come down here and asked to give her or her department more unchecked power? Again, I'm just a street kid. I don't have all the, you guys have all the degrees.

5:43:24 You guys are very smart, educated people. I'm just learning on the fly as I go. But I'm just, luckily Margaret and Joseph Gardner raised a kid that was just tough enough, gritty enough to stand up. And thank be to God I came across Steve Ledesinski as well. And we took on the city. We took on the guerrilla, if you will, the undefeated guerrilla, right? That you can't beat the city. You can't take them on. We did.

5:43:55 And out of 10 violations, not a single one stood? That's 0 for 10. I'm not a great baseball player, but that's 0.0000. That's horrible. Not one? Oh! Oh, ladies and gentlemen. Come on. I mean, we are just going to blindly give away more power, if you will, or more leverage to do whatever it is that you want to do.

5:44:28 And you can't prove to us that you can't fulfill your most basic principles. What? I mean, this is this alone. if you guys have not taken the time, again, don't trust my words. Bill Conlon, he is the head of the Board of Ethics, well-respected attorney in this city for decades. Please read it. I highlighted it for you guys and made it real simple. There's a footnote. It's footnote number four, page three.

5:45:02 Please, please, please read it. And I will leave with this. The people of the 45th Ward elected me to represent my community. I have done that from the day that I have been elected to do so in 2019. I have never, nor would I, violate the trust that the people of the 45th Ward

5:45:35 have given me to represent my community. And anybody who says otherwise, anybody who says otherwise, Otherwise, you should seriously reconsider their validity. Thank you for your time, Mayor. Thank you. Alderman Burnett has his hand raised, so I will recognize him. The chair recognizes Alderman Burnett. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I'm sorry that that happened to my brother, man, but I'm glad you were able to get past it.

5:46:14 so we have to have checks and balances guys i don't know what's wrong with the law department representing us uh initially we all were trying to get our own lawyers now we're going to settle for no lawyers i don't understand that um like like uh alderman gardner said a lot of us aren't lawyers so we rely on lawyers to be able to do things for us and if you don't have your If you don't have the city representing you, then you have to go and pay for a lawyer.

5:46:48 I don't know how many folks are able to pay for lawyers, even if people make acquisitions against you. So we need to be able to have some type of defense on our behalf. So we need to consider that. um i don't understand why we would even say that uh corporation council the department of law shouldn't represent us i don't understand that i mean those guys get paid to represent us

5:47:22 uh we put in the budget every year it just it just baffled me that uh we would even be considering this kind of thing uh the department The law is legally required to safeguard attorney-client privileges and work product protections on behalf of the city of Chicago, including us. Why would we give that up? So it's like saying a lawyer.

5:47:56 I wouldn't do that. Thank you. Alderman, there are two other alders that wish to speak. Were you about to offer a clarification? Okay, for a point of clarification, the chair recognizes Alderman Martin. Thank you, and that's specifically in response to what Vice Mayor Burnett shared. So the Corporation Council and I have met on a number of occasions, both with the Inspector General as well as one-on-one.

5:48:30 I have shared a substitute draft with the law department that clarifies, and of course this is a proposed substitute, that an individual in the city would, of course, in any investigative interview, retain their right to private counsel or to the counsel of the law department, assuming they agree to represent that person in their individual capacity. As many of you are aware with regard to complicated CPD-related misconduct allegations, it's not uncommon to actually have a firewall within the law department to have certain individuals for the purposes of certain proceedings or interviews represent a member of CPD in their personal capacity and then separately have members of the law department who are working on behalf of the city who owe a duty to the city and not to that particular individual,

5:49:25 especially when those duties may collide. And so I want to make sure that our colleagues are aware that we are not proposing that covered members, say individuals who are represented by a union, which is 90 percent of our workforce, or uncovered members, including members of this body, would give up their rights entirely. What is proposed right now is simply to re-refer this item from the Rules Committee to the Ethics Committee for continued consideration, including for continued opportunity to modify a substitute

5:49:58 that was shared a month ago with the Law Department. Thank you. Thank you, Alder Vasquez. Do you still wish to speak? Very well. The chair recognizes Alder Vasquez. Thank you, Mr. President. First, I want to thank Alderman Gardner for his comments. I don't think any of us can appreciate, I'm sure none of us can appreciate, what you've had to go through the last number of years, because even the accusations were enough that members of this body,

5:50:29 that the general public had a certain opinion already before everything actually ran through the court system and you were able to find your innocence. But we all know in Chicago sometimes it doesn't even matter. That decision has already been made in the public and you've got to walk around and carry that and have to do it for a number of years in both your public and your private life. And so I feel for you, brother, just as somebody who's had that kind of typecasting occur when you walk through life.

5:51:02 And people automatically saying, well, you heard about so-and-so and the whispers whenever you're walking. And there's been a number of us that have been a part of it because we had the same kind of intention. And so I want to apologize for that personally. And you raise up a very real concern. I think when we talk about what's being re-referred, it's a thing that I'm balancing. There's a reality that we need the kind of investigations occurring in government because there's a lot of things that happen behind closed doors and conversations that aren't investigated,

5:51:34 and there's things we don't find out about until years after because an investigation was allowed to happen, even when you've got, whether it's a city council or any administration, doing everything they can to block that kind of accountability. So there's a clear weight in importance, which is why I'm supportive of trying to make sure that gets done properly, why it should be re-referred to committee and we speak to it but what you raise up is something that we've talked about this before as a council there are situations we find ourselves in

5:52:05 where corporate council is not going to defend you they're not going to defend any of these city council members depending on what we're talking about and we're in a situation now where it may not just be a neighbor it could be the federal government itself coming after an alder for any decisions being made or any protections they think they're providing and you might find yourself in a situation where the counsel looking at the law says, I'm terribly sorry. Can't do anything for you. Or to your point, you've got to go find a lawyer. And we had a number of street kids here.

5:52:36 I don't even know which lawyer you'd call up first, but you've got to try to solve that for yourself. So a number of years ago, a couple of our colleagues, Alderman Riley, Alderman Beal, proposed us getting our own counsel. And in the world where anybody would think about their own self-interest, this counsel didn't vote to move that forward. They found every possible way to say, no, we don't necessarily need that. In fact, this council voted against the Legislative Reference Bureau, our two folks here we write legislation with, voted against them even stepping floor on this council to talk to people.

5:53:16 Now, why would anybody vote against their own interests? Because everyone thinks they have relationships. And, hey, I'm cool with an administration. I don't want to say do that. But when push comes to shove and a lawsuit happens, you find out those relationships aren't as strong as you thought they were. And so the reason why I wanted to raise that up is we need to revisit that legislation. We need to make sure the council has its own council, has its own lawyers, because there are situations that are going to happen. And it isn't malicious. It's law where corporate counsel will say, not in my purview, can't do it.

5:53:51 Or you might be on the opposite side of the table. So the only reason I wanted to make sure to add that is we have 50 members of this council. We need to revisit the conversation of what it means for us to have our own independent lawyer for the situations that we might find ourselves in. And when we do bring this back up, because we should, you can't vote against your own self-interest because you're going to find out you might end up on the wrong end of it, especially when you have the federal government we're currently having the White House. So just want to make that point again.

5:54:23 Terribly sorry for everything you've had to go through. I do believe the inspector general has to have the right to be able to investigate our government because we're not above that accountability. And also, we need to make sure we have our lawyers as a council to be able to have a check and balance there as well. And so I hope that folks that are watching and listening in on this are able to partner with us to get something like that done. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Irvin. Thank you, Mr. President. Again, I think that a lot of points being made here. I do question, though, where this needs to go.

5:55:03 So this is something, in my opinion, that impacts all of us in places of impact. The body as a whole generally go to the committee on committees and rules because it's the committee of the whole, because it impacts the whole of council. Granted, I understand the chairperson's desire to have that. However, as far as the balance is concerned, we see what potentially unchecked power can do.

5:55:36 And unfortunately, our colleague has had to deal with the brunt of that. So I would offer that it's something that we all need to be weighing in or we all need to be a part of and not just a very small select group of members of council. And so my opinion is that this is something that needs to stay in the committee, needs to be dealt with, but I think it's a broad enough conversation that impacts the body as a whole, and things that impact the body as a whole are generally handled in the committee on committees and in rules.

5:56:14 Thank you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Rodriguez. Just a quick point of clarification. I mean, we're not asking for anything special here. It's going to go to your committee, and then any alder can go to that committee, meaning is my assumption. And then it comes before full city council, right? So if you're posing the question to me, yes, it's the motion on the floor is for re-referral to the ethics committee.

5:56:45 But obviously what the chairman was indicating, Erbman, is that that's not a committee of the whole. That's all was his argument. Right, but my point is it would go through the process through committee back to city council for a final vote. That part has not changed. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alder Haddon. Thank you, Mr. President. I appreciate Chairman Irvin. I appreciate your points and would advocate against it. one We're not having, Rules Committee hasn't met. We've had Rules Committee scheduled, Rules Committee canceled.

5:57:22 I mean, elephant in the room. Not only is Rules Committee where we have traditionally sent things that, hey, legitimately we have questions about, for real. And, of course, there are items that go to rules because they are questions of the whole or because they are specific to the rules. But it is not customary that things go to Rules Committee just because they're things that impact all of us. Arguably, every single thing that we hear in council impacts all of us, and not just us, of course, but our constituents, which is who we're here to represent.

5:57:56 I also have concerns about any further efforts to delay this and actually any other items that are trying to get discharged from Rules Committee because we can't seem to have a rules committee meeting. It's deeply frustrating and I think a problematic process for us. This is the inability to have a rules committee meeting is leaving us to this kind of piece, right? If we had a rules committee meeting, we could have actually had some debate in rules committee about what committee this should go to.

5:58:29 But here we are late in the day on a council day in the miscellaneous items on something that honestly should have just gone to committee in the first place. Trying to use maneuvers to prevent a conversation that needs to be had is a waste of everyone's time. We need to move forward with this motion. I call the question. All right. Well, the question has been called on this item to re-refer this item to the ethics committee.

5:59:06 Is that right? Item number 0-2-0-2-5-0-0-1-5-5-8-3. The motion has been moved for a roll call. I'm sorry, for a voice vote. Very well. All those in favor of the re-referral, it was for a voice vote. Oh, okay. So there's a roll call vote that's being requested for the re-referral of this item. So at this time, then, members should use their e-vote application.

5:59:39 However, before we do that, for reasons stated in Rule 59, Alderwoman Nicole Lee has asked to participate in this portion of the meeting remotely. Madam Clerk, can you verify Alderwoman Lee's presence online? Alderwoman Lee, are you there? Yes, can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you. Thank you. Can I get a motion for the participation remotely for Alderwoman Lee? It's been moved. All those in favor signify by saying aye.

6:00:12 Any opposed say no. The opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. Alderwoman Lee will be added as participating remotely. Madam Clerk, thank you for your help here. Members, please use your e-vote applications to record your vote at this time. The voting is now open. The voting is now open. Please use your e-device. The voting is now open.

6:01:34 I will call on those who have not used their e-device for a voice vote. Alderman Hopkins. Not present. Alderman Yancey. Not present. Alderman Lee. Alderman Lee is a yes. Alderman Lee is a yes. Alderwoman Taylor. Yes. Taylor is a yes. Alderman Cito Lopez. Not President Chambers. Alderman Burnett. No. Burnett is a no. Alderman Rodriguez Sanchez. Aye.

6:02:13 Thank you. Sanchez is a yes. Alderman admits, not present in chambers. All right, the voting is now closed. There are 39 yeas, 7 nays. This motion passes. A motion to reconsider. The chair recognizes Alderman LaSpada on a motion to reconsider.

6:02:46 Alderman Bill, it's okay. Alderman Bill, thank you. On the motion to reconsider. All those for the reconsideration of this vote signify by saying aye. Any opposed say no. Motion fails. Alderman Mitchell, anything else? For the motion to discharge this committee on the rules for further consideration, again, this item, of course, will be referred to the Ethics Committee.

6:03:22 Alderman Mitchell, is there anything else? All right. The last item was filed by Audemars Lawson in regards to historical landmark destination for St. Adderbert Parish Complex. However, this item was reported out and voted on by the city council during the committee report at today's meeting for the Committee on Zoning Landmarks and Building Standards. Therefore, this item is mute. Very well. Thank you very much. So with that, are there any other pieces of miscellaneous business? Audemant Mitchell. Except for the ordinance setting the date and time for the next meeting, I'm not aware of any further miscellaneous business.

6:03:54 Very well for the date and time of the next meeting, Audemant Mitchell. I've handed up an ordinance to the clerk setting the date and time for the next meeting. Madam Clerk, please read the ordinance. Being ordained by the City Council of City, Chicago, Section 1, the next regular meeting of the City Council of City, Chicago, shall be held on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Council Chamber on the second floor, City Council, 121 North LaSalle, Chicago, LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois. Section 2, this ordinance shall take in effect and be enforced from and after its passage. Gregory Mitchell, Alderman 7th Ward. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Alderman Mitchell.

6:04:25 I move passes in the omnibus. Hearing no objections, so order. For the omnibus, Alderman Mitchell. I move that matters in the omnibus be passed by the first most favorable roll call vote by the Committee on Finance and the Associated Unsuccessful Motion to Reconsider. Hearing no objections, so order. Alderman Mitchell on the motion to adjourn. There being no further business before this body, I move that we adjourn. Hearing no objections to order, the meeting is adjourned.

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